Hollywood Derby

East Coast-based horses had won the GI Hollywood Derby in six of the last eight years and three of the last four, but it was a California 1-2 in Saturday's renewal at Del Mar, as William and Suzanne Warren's Formidable Man (City of Light) parlayed a perfect trip in the box seat into a clear-cut victory over King of Gosford (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}). 'TDN Rising Star' Donegal Momentum (Uncle Mo) broke best of all and led the Hollywood Derby field down the chute, but Rothschild (Uncle Mo)--also ridden positively by...

Denied as the heavy favorite at Colonial Downs by the undefeated Integration (Quality Road) in the GIII New Kent County Virginia Derby last time out Sept. 9, Program Trading (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) got back on track to take his fourth win in five starts in the GI Hollywood Derby. A winner of his first three starts, the Chad Brown trainee reached the pinnacle two starts back with a narrow victory over Webslinger (Constitution) on a lucky on-the-turf weekend in Saratoga in the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Aug. 5....

The late Charlie Whittingham won his first Hollywood Derby back in 1967 with Tumble Wind and the last of his four victories in the race in 1989 with Live The Dream. Chad Brown added his name to the list of Hollywood Derby winners courtesy of Annals of Time (Temple City) in 2016 and followed up with Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in 2018 and Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) two years later. In Saturday's renewal of the nine-furlong event, Brown will send out a pair of lightly raced sophomores...

Speaking Scout came running late to upset the GI Hollywood Derby Saturday at Del Mar. Cold on the board at 8-1, the gelding broke well from the 10-hole, but was content to race near the back as longshot Evan Harlan (Temple City) carved out opening splits of :24.51 and :49.86. Asked for more approaching the far turn, the bay launched a powerful four-wide rally in the lane, forging clear late to score. Spycatcher held second over Wit. Fourth in both the GIII Kent S. and Bald Eagle Derby this summer,...

Enjoy your day at the Big A. Led by the GI Cigar Mile H. and three other graded events, Aqueduct's loaded 10-race card will be in the spotlight in South Ozone Park Saturday. Zandon (Upstart), winner of the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. and third-place finisher in the GI Kentucky Derby this spring, cuts back to a one-turn mile for Chad Brown in the feature. The dark bay, favored at even-money on the Cigar Mile's morning-line, also finished third in the GI Runhappy Travers S. and second in the GI...

Del Mar's Bing Crosby Season will present the richest stakes schedule in its nine-year history featuring 13 major stakes races--nine of them graded--and two overnight events worth a total of $2,450,000. The season kicks off Friday, Nov. 11 and goes through Sunday, Dec. 4. Topping the roster for the 13-day Crosby session are a pair of Grade I offerings on closing weekend, each carrying enhanced purses of $400,000--the Hollywood Derby for 3-year-olds at a mile and one-eighth on turf Dec. 3 and the Matriarch S. for older fillies and mares...

Twenty-four hours after producing Say the Word (More Than Ready) from last to scoop the GII Hollywood Turf Cup, jockey Kent Desormeaux rode a perfect race from the front to upset Saturday's GI Hollywood Derby with the appropriately named Beyond Brilliant (Twirling Candy) for Lee Searing's C R K Stable and trainer John Shirreffs. Midwest shipper Santin (Distorted Humor) was given a peach of a ride from the 14 hole by Umberto Rispoli and was getting to the winner late, while Cathkin Peak (Ire) (Alhebayeb {Ire}) checked in third. Desormeaux...

Klaravich Stables' Public Sector (GB) (Kingman {GB}) looks to register his fourth straight win Saturday in the GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar. The bay kicked off his hot streak with a win in Saratoga's GII Hall of Fame S. Aug. 6 and took the GIII Saranac S. there next out Sept. 4. He enters this off a win in the nine-panel GII Hill Prince S. at Belmont Oct. 23. His conditioner, Chad Brown, also saddles Sifting Sands (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who was seventh in the Hill Prince, but captured...

Camp Hope, a 3-year-old son of Summer Front who made it to the winner's circle on both opening day and closing day of Keeneland's fall meet, will take on Grade I company in Saturday's Hollywood Derby at Del Mar. The Kenny McPeek trainee carries the silks of owner Walking L Thoroughbreds, but his earnings go toward the important facility he was named after. An intensive residential program in Houston, Texas, Camp Hope provides treatment for combat veterans suffering from trauma and PTSD. The facility opened its doors in 2012 and...

Green Group Founder Len Green joined this week's TDN Writers' Room to discuss how to become profitable in the horse business.

Saturday's GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar was a tiebreaker of sorts. Since the closure of Hollywood Park in 2013 and with the race transferred to the seaside venue, the locals (California Chrome, Chiropractor and Mo Forza) and ship-ins (Annals of Time, Mo Town and Raging Bull {Fr}) had split the six runnings. Following a pair of scratches, seven California-based sophomores took on a formidable foursome from the East Coast, and when the dust had settled after nine very entertaining furlongs, Klaravich Stables' Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) had tilted...

Five horses based with powerhouse outfits on the East Coast have shipped into Southern California for Saturday's GI Hollywood Derby and in a cruel twist, they have been allocated the 'visitors' draw' in five of the six widest gates in what will be a field of 12. Trainer Christophe Clement has never won the Derby, but he is double-fisted with a pair of high-quality turf sophomores. Gufo (Declaration of War) has won five of his seven trips to the post, having earned a maiden graded success in the GIII Kent...