Rock Your World vs None Above the Law in Twilight Derby
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Photo: Benoit Photo
As winter turned to spring this year, Rock Your World was a "wise guy" favorite for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) while None Above the Law was toiling against fellow California-breds in minor stakes events on both turf and dirt.
Their paths cross on Halloween in the Twilight Derby (G2T), a 1 1/8-mile challenge on the Santa Anita turf.
Rock Your World will try to complete a turnaround from a skid that started with a 17th-place finish in Louisville while None Above the Law will try to prove he belongs in open-company races against top rivals.
Rock Your World arrived at Churchill Downs after winning the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) in just his third career start. He was undefeated, with the first two wins coming on the turf, but essentially was eliminated in a typical Kentucky Derby traffic muddle shortly after the gate opened.
The Candy Ride colt, trained by John Sadler, then was sixth in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) and, after nearly three months off, placed second in the Shared Belief Stakes on the dirt at Del Mar Aug. 28.
"We think he's a horse that can run on either surface," said Sadler, who also noted Rock Your World will race in blinkers for the first time.
"He'll run with a small blinker just to keep him a little more focused," Sadler said. "It won't be a big cup, just what we call French blinkers.
"We want to put him back on turf for this race; he's trained really well. There have been no blips, (Umberto) Rispoli stays on him, and we're looking forward to it."
None Above the Law, a California-bred Karakontie gelding, is the most experienced and accomplished runner in the 10-horse Twilight Derby field. The Peter Miller trainee makes his 15th career start and 11th as a 3-year-old.
From that, he has six wins, including his last two starts—the seven-furlong Real Good Deal Stakes for California-breds on the Del Mar dirt course July 30 and the Del Mar Derby Presented by Caesars Sportsbook (G2T) Sept. 4.
In the Del Mar Derby, None Above the Law and jockey Joe Bravo used most of the 1 1/8 miles of firm turf to get the job done, rallying along the rail from mid-pack to win by three-quarters of a length in a moderate upset.
Other than East Coast invader Wootton Asset , most of the others in the Twilight Derby will have to improve on recent outings at Del Mar, including the Del Mar Derby.
The cleverly named Wootton Asset, a Wootton Bassett colt, comes west for trainer Graham Motion after finishing third in both the Kent Stakes (G3T) at Delaware Park and the Bald Eagle Derby at Pimlico Race Course and then winning the New Kent County Virginia Derby (G3T) at Colonial Downs.
The Virginia Derby was only Wootton Asset's third career win, along with two victories that opened his account at secondary tracks in France.
Also of note in the Twilight Derby lineup:
Flashiest , by Mizzen Mast , reported second in the Del Mar Derby. Earlier in the year, he shipped east to finish 11th in the Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1T) after winning the Runhappy Oceanside Stakes to open the Del Mar summer meeting.
"When we shipped to Saratoga, the experience was too much for him," trainer Leonard Powell said of Flashiest. "He got really hot in the paddock and he got to be a handful for the jockey. The whole thing was a bit overwhelming."
Zoffarelli , a Zoffany gelding, won the La Jolla Handicap (G3T) via disqualification after finishing a nose back, then was sixth in the Del Mar Derby. Hudson Ridge , an American Pharoah colt, was placed second in the La Jolla and was ninth as the favorite in the Del Mar Derby.
Cathkin Peak , an Alhebayeb gelding, won at both Del Mar and Santa Anita as a 2-year-old but is winless this year, most recently finishing sixth in the La Jolla and fourth in the Del Mar Derby.
Trainer Phil D'Amato said Cathkin Peak was not able to show his best effort in the Del Mar Derby.
"He had traffic problems, nowhere to go," D'Amato said. "Hopefully, we'll regroup. He's ready for the test even though this will be an even tougher race."
Jungle Cry , a son of Animal Kingdom , has been consistently tough at Golden Gate Fields but was seventh in the Oceanside in his only previous journey down the California coast. And Beyond Brilliant , a Twirling Candy colt, tackles stakes company for the first time while starting from the outside stall.
Santa Anita Park, Sunday, October 31, 2021, Race 10Entries: Twilight Derby (G2T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Flashiest (KY)
Abel Cedillo
124
Leonard Powell
6/1
2
2Subconscious (KY)
Juan J. Hernandez
124
Richard E. Mandella
6/1
3
3Zoffarelli (IRE)
Drayden Van Dyke
124
Jeff Mullins
8/1
4
4Hudson Ridge (KY)
Flavien Prat
124
Bob Baffert
5/1
5
5None Above the Law (CA)
Joe Bravo
124
Peter Miller
6/1
6
6Wootton Asset (FR)
Mike E. Smith
124
H. Graham Motion
12/1
7
7Cathkin Peak (IRE)
Jose Valdivia, Jr.
124
Philip D'Amato
8/1
8
8Rock Your World (KY)
UMBERTO RISPOLI
124
John W. Sadler
5/2
9
9Jungle Cry (KY)
Kyle Frey
124
Steven Specht
12/1
10
10Beyond Brilliant (KY)
Kent J. Desormeaux
124
John A. Shirreffs
15/1
