Om Speedy Favorite in Twilight Derby

Coming off his breakthrough score in the Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT) Sept. 6, K. B. Sareen's Om figures to be the one to beat in the $200,000 Twilight Derby (gr. IIT) Oct. 24 at Santa Anita Park.



Installed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite for the 1 1/8-mile turf race Saturday, the speedy Munnings   colt trained by Dan Hendricks appears the be the lone frontrunner in the field and used that style to take the Del Mar Derby by 2 1/4 lengths to improve to two wins in three career turf starts.



BALAN: Om Makes the Grade in Del Mar Derby



Expected challenger Prospect Park, who defeated Om in the La Jolla Handicap (gr. IIIT) before finishing third in the Del Mar Derby, has been sent to River Edge Farm in Buellton, Calif. because of stomach issues, according to trainer Ciff Sise.



Second place Del Mar Derby finisher Royal Albert Hall returns to challenge Om in the Twilight Derby, following a trip east, where he finished sixth in the Hill Prince Stakes (gr. IIIT) Oct. 3 at Belmont Park. Daddy D T, also graded stakes-placed, finished third in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT), but has only raced twice this year a second-place allowance/optional claiming result and a sixth in the Pasadena Stakes in March.



Irish-bred Mister Brightside is an intriguing outsider in the Twilight Derby, making his first U.S. start after two stakes wins in sprints at Newmarket in England earlier this year. Trained by Jeremy Noseda, the Lord Shanakill colt has a 3-2-3 record from nine starts.



Also entered is Soul Driver, a two-time stakes winner this year who was fifth in the Del Mar Derby last time out; allowance winners Ground Rules and Verraco; and maiden winners Hunt (Ire), Boone Docks, and Second Summer.