Chase the Chaos Impresses in El Camino Real Derby
Image:
Description:
Photo: Vassar Photography
Armando Ayuso celebrates aboard Chase the Chaos while winning the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields
The Kentucky Derby (G1) may be months away, but the connections of Chase the Chaos enjoyed the sweet thrill of victory in another Derby—the $101,350 El Camino Real Derby—Feb. 11 at Golden Gate Fields.
Jockey Armando Ayuso punched the air as he galloped beneath the finish line aboard the Pennsylvania-bred son of Astern , who ran down seven rivals to secure his first stakes score by 1 1/2 lengths.
"I want to thank God, the owners, and the trainer Mr. Moger and his team," Ayuso said. "They do an awesome job. You can't feel any better than this. This is a horse we've been training here, and we've just gone little by little with him. He's been improving every race."
Entered in the 1 1/8-mile test on the all-weather Tapeta surface off a Dec. 30 allowance-level score at Golden Gate, the 3-year-old bay gelding fired fresh for Ed Moger Jr. After saving ground and tracking well off the pace set by Bob Baffert trainee Nullabor, who went the opening quarter in :23.34 and opened up on the field by 5 1/2 lengths as he posted fractions of :47.52 and 1:12.64, Chase the Chaos was set down for the drive from sixth at the quarter pole and quickly made up ground with a strong late rally. He outfinished another Baffert trainee, favored Gilmore , through a 1:38.73 mile and stopped the clock in 1:51.68. Harcyn completed the trifecta.
With the win, Chase the Chaos ($10.40) will have his connections deliberating over whether to make him eligible to participate in the Triple Crown, for which they would need to pay a late nomination fee of $6,000. The second closing date for Triple Crown nominations is March 27. In the balance are a free berth into the Preakness Stakes (G1) and 10 points toward a starting spot in the Kentucky Derby (G1), which he would receive as a Triple Crown nominee.
Horses trained by Baffert are ineligible to accrue points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby due to a suspension given to him by Churchill Downs Inc. for medication violations. As a result, his two starters—Gilmore (second) and Nullarbor (fifth)—were not awarded any.
Should other El Camino Real participants ultimately become Triple Crown nominees, Harcyn could receive three points for third and Passarando two points for fourth.
Second Dec. 3 in the Gold Rush Stakes going a mile at Golden Gate, and third there in the Nov. 12 Golden Nugget Stakes at six furlongs, Chase the Chaos clearly relished the increase in distance. He shipped to California and joined Moger's barn after breaking his maiden in his second start Sept. 17 going a mile on the turf at Canterbury Park for prior trainer Robertino Diodoro. The El Camino Real Derby win improved his record to 3-2-1 from six starts, with earnings of $123,000.
Bred by Mr. and Mrs. Dale N. Krapf in Pennsylvania, Chase the Chaos was a $10,000 purchase by William and Sandy Dory from Ballysax Bloodstock's consignment to the 2020 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. He is the first starter out of the Uncle Mo mare Live the Moment , whose only other foal is a yearling Take Charge Indy filly. The dam was bred back to Instagrand for this year.