Free Rose Out to Shine in Twilight Derby
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Photo: Benoit Photography
Free Rose and jockey Norberto Arroyo, Jr., right, outleg Ralis
Multiple graded stakes winner Free Rose seeks to build upon the best form of his career as the 3-year-old gelded son of Munnings heads a field of 12 entered for the Nov. 4 $200,000 Twilight Derby (gr. IIT) going 1 1/8 miles on the Santa Anita Park turf.
Life on the West Coast has certainly agreed with the dark bay gelding. Since switching from previous trainer Tevis McCauley and heading to the California-based barn of Richard Baltas, Free Rose has blossomed from a steady allowance horse to a victor of back-to-back graded stakes contests.
His gate-to-wire, half length win in the Aug. 6 La Jolla Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Del Mar went down as a 28-1 upset and he continued to stun the betting public, taking the Sept. 4 Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT) over grade I winner Ralis and fellow Twilight Derby entrant Dressed in Hermes at 11-1.
Owned by Abbondanza Racing and Nate McCauley, Free Rose has won four of 11 career starts with $314,760 in earnings.
Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) entrant Oscar Nominated is set to make his West Coast debut and comes off a 6 1/4 -length victory in the Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Derby at Kentucky Downs Sept. 11. That triumph marked the first score for the ridgling son of Kitten's Joy since his neck victory in the Horsehoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes (gr. III) at Turfway Park April 2.
Twilight Derby (gr. IIT)
Santa Anita Park, Friday, November 04, 2016, Race 10
- 1 1/8m
- Turf
- $200,000
- 3 yo
- 5:10 PM (local)
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | M/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1Free Rose (KY) | Norberto Arroyo, Jr. | 124 | Richard Baltas | 3/1 |
| 2 | 2Frank Conversation (KY) | Mario Gutierrez | 122 | Doug F. O'Neill | 15/1 |
| 3 | 3Path of David (KY) | John R. Velazquez | 120 | Kristin Mulhall | 6/1 |
| 4 | 4Oscar Nominated (KY) | Florent Geroux | 122 | Michael J. Maker | 7/2 |
| 5 | 5Monster Bea (KY) | Javier Castellano | 120 | Peter Miller | 8/1 |
| 6 | 6Blackjackcat (KY) | Mike E. Smith | 120 | Mark Glatt | 6/1 |
| 7 | 7Barhanpour (FR) | Stewart Elliott | 120 | Leonard Powell | 20/1 |
| 8 | 8Dressed in Hermes (KY) | Kent J. Desormeaux | 122 | Janet Armstrong | 15/1 |
| 9 | 9Mr. Roary (KY) | Gary L. Stevens | 120 | George Papaprodromou | 12/1 |
| 10 | 10Diplodocus (KY) | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 120 | Richard Baltas | 20/1 |
| 11 | 11Curlin Rules (KY) | Victor Espinoza | 120 | John W. Sadler | 20/1 |
| 12 | 12Gold Rush Dancer (CA) | Flavien Prat | 120 | Vann Belvoir | 8/1 |