Endlessly Tops Golden Gate's Final El Camino Real Derby

Southern California trainer Michael McCarthy—who sent Rombauer   to Northern California to win the El Camino Real Derby and later the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course in 2021—runs another promising 3-year-old colt in Endlessly  in the 1 1/8-mile El Camino Real Derby Feb. 10. McCarthy also took the El Camino Real in 2018 with the filly Paved .

Saturday's race on the Tapeta surface at Golden Gate Fields provides automatic entry to its winner into the May 18 Preakness. It is the final El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate, which will close in June. 

Amerman Racing's Endlessly is favored at 2-1 odds on the morning line ahead of fellow Southern California shippers Tapalo  (3-1) and Guy Named Joe  (5-1) in the eight-horse field. Wild Jewels , a multiple stakes winner and 3-for-3 at Golden Gate, is another 5-1 shot.

Endlessly has raced exclusively on turf. The son of Oscar Performance   won his first three starts of 2023, including the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes (G3T) and Zuma Beach Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park before finishing eighth in his last start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) at Santa Anita Nov. 3.

Umberto Rispoli rides.

Favored Endlessly remains unbeaten as he takes Grade III, $200,000 Zuma Beach Stakes pic.twitter.com/kfOHas0Cwu

— Santa Anita Park (@santaanitapark) October 9, 2023

Other Southern InVaders

• Tapalo and Guy Named Joe come off maiden victories.
• The former captured a seven-furlong dirt sprint Jan. 12 at Santa Anita for trainer John Sadler, while the latter took in a one-mile turf race Dec. 29 for trainer Doug O'Neill.