Bolt d'Oro Works Toward San Felipe With Castellano
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Bolt d'Oro ahead of the 2017 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar
With Javier Castellano aboard, Bolt d'Oro worked six furlongs out of the gate Feb. 26 at Santa Anita Park in 1:12 flat. The colt galloped out to seven furlongs in 1:25 flat and a mile in 1:39 4/5, according to Santa Anita clockers.
With Castellano committed to the Kentucky-bred son of Medaglia d'Oro for the San Felipe Stakes (G2) March 10, Ruis Racing's Bolt d'Oro came on the track at about 7:50 a.m. PT, backtracked around the far turn, and proceeded up the backstretch to the starting gate.
Paired in the gate with a stablemate, 3-year-old maiden colt Eskimo Roses, Bolt d'Oro broke slowly but was quickly into stride and about a length and a half behind at the half-mile pole. With Castellano gradually asking Bolt d'Oro to pick up the pace, he was a length off his workmate at the quarter pole and took over well within himself three sixteenths of a mile from home.
With a couple subtle reminders, Bolt d'Oro finished well and was ridden out around the clubhouse turn to the seven-furlong pole. Eskimo Roses, with jockey Juan Ochoa up, finished about 10 lengths behind Bolt d'Oro at the wire and was given a six furlong time of 1:14 flat.
"He breezed good, I really like the way he finished," Castellano said. "He got some dirt in his face and it didn't bother him. I asked him little by little to pick it up around the turn and he did it very easy. I rode him the way they asked me and it was a good, solid work."
"He went a little quick early, but he finished really good," owner/trainer Mick Ruis said. "I think we're where we need to be. He's a very smart horse and he can get very relaxed behind the gate. I'm really glad we worked out of the gate today, because he'll be much sharper next time."
Unbeaten in his first three starts, including a pair of grade 1 scores in the Del Mar Futurity and in the FrontRunner Stakes, Bolt d'Oro finished third in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 4 at Del Mar.
Bred by WinStar Farm, the colt is out of the A.P. Indy mare Globe Trot. He was purchased by Ruis for $630,000 at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale and now has earnings of $576,000.