Instilled Regard, Solomini Put in Final Derby Works

Early in the 3-year-old prep season, OXO Equine's Instilled Regard very much looked like a player on the Triple Crown trail.

The Jerry Hollendorfer-trained colt tussled with a pair of top runners from the Bob Baffert barn to cap his 2-year-old season in the Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity (G1) Dec. 9, then shipped to Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Jan. 13 and impressively scored in the Lecomte Stakes (G3).

His next two starts, however, put him off the radar for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1)—fourth-place finishes in the Risen Star Stakes presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) and the Santa Anita Derby (G1). But after some defections, the Arch colt is the last horse in for the Run for the Roses.

Instilled Regard was also one of the last colts to go through his final pre-Derby work April 29, six days ahead of the first Saturday in May. With owner Larry Best and Hollendorfer looking on from the Santa Anita Park grandstand, the dark bay covered five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 and galloped out with strength to six furlongs in 1:13 3/5 under jockey Drayden Van Dyke.

"He worked real nice and galloped out real nice. He's all set," Hollendorfer said. "He came bouncing back, so he looked really good."

The work was in company with stablemate Magic Musketier, who broke off about a length and a half ahead of the Derby longshot. Instilled Regard went on the attack in the turn, breezed by on the outside in the stretch, and hit the wire about two lengths in front.

"I loved the way he worked today," Van Dyke said of the drill, which went in fractions of :24 4/5 and :49 flat through a half-mile. "I worked him a few times previously, before he raced at Los Al and won that race at Fair Grounds, and he seemed way more focused this time around—way more focused. He was so professional. I'm thrilled to be on him."

The only time the 23-year-old jockey has ridden Instilled Regard in a race was in the Los Alamitos Futurity, when he was fouled by Solomini, who crossed the wire first but was disqualified to third. Instilled Regard, who was racing between Solomini and McKinzie in the stretch, came in third, three-quarters of a length back, but was promoted to second behind McKinzie after an inquiry.

Instilled Regard will be Van Dyke's first Derby mount, and he also has the call on Rayya in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1). A winner of 26 graded stakes in just more than four full seasons of riding, Van Dyke has proven himself away from his Southern California home base, with road wins on Include Betty in the 2015 Mother Goose Stakes (G1), Miss Temple City in the 2016 Maker's 46 Mile Stakes (G1T), It Tiz Well in the 2017 Cotillion Stakes (G1), and City of Light in the 2018 Oaklawn Handicap (G2).

"I've been waiting for this forever," the young rider said. "It hasn't sunk in yet, but it's slowly creeping on me. When I sit down by myself and think about it, it gives me butterflies. But I'm ready.

"In my mind, I try to think of it as just another race, but it's not just another race. It's the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks."

Also Sunday, Solomini put in his final work for the Kentucky Derby and covered six furlongs in 1:14 3/5. The Curlin  colt owned by Zayat Stables and Coolmore connections worked in company inside of recent maiden winner and Baffert-trained stablemate Once On Whiskey. Solomini ran splits of :25 flat, :49 4/5, and 1:01 4/5 and galloped out to seven furlongs in 1:28 1/5 and a mile in 1:42 4/5.