Spanish Sword Takes Slice Out Of El Camino Derby
Race : The El Camino Derby – Grade III – $200,000
ID: 3882.2914Track : N. California
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : A mile and one sixteenth on the Dirt
The El Camino Derby (G3) ended with a big upset this past weekend as 9/1 shot Spanish Sword, owned by super23 of More Evil Than The Evil Empire, took off to win the mile and one sixteenth dirt race. The three-year-old chestnut colt by perennial top sire El Prado (IRE) and out of the mare Fly Like The Wind defeated a full field of fourteen colts on Saturday, including the two pre-race co-favorites Wild Eddi and Ghost Dancers. This duo, trained by anymore and super22 respectively, wound up in the money but weren’t good enough to best Spanish Sword this weekend.
When the fourteen horses were all in line at the starting gate, tense seconds past as the fourteen horse and jockeys waited out on the track for the beginning of the El Camino Derby (G3). When the bell sounded and the gates crashed open Lustrum, owned and trained by catullus was out to an early one half length lead over the rest of the field out towards the middle of the track. It was the chestnuts colts graded debut race and he was right out on the lead just as his owner/trainer wanted the colt. A half length behind to his outside was jake’s colt Kid Welcome. This colt may not have gotten quite the start he wanted in the El Camino Derby (G3), as the brown colt had never won a race unless be began the race on the lead. Sitting right off the pace directly behind the two front runners ran Spanish Sword, biding his time early in the race in hopes to make a run down the stretch later on in the mile and one sixteenth race. Just one-fourth length behind Spanish Sword ran undercover’s End Up Alone. Right along with him to his outside was Relax Wolf (CZE), trained by graywolf21. Stretched out behind them was the rest of the field with texasace02’s colt Tequila Fever trailing the field early on out of the gate by nine lengths.
Lustrum went on to lengthen his lead to one and one-fourth lengths over Kid Welcome who was very used to running on the lead in his races. Two and three-fourth lengths off the pace stalking the front runners, Spanish Sword sat back comfortably with End Up Alone and Relax Wolf (CZE) still trailing behind him. To the outside, four and one-fourth lengths off of Lustrum 4stardave’s colt Seduced’nabandoned ran in sixth pace with Why So Serious, owned and trained by thebear20 ran on the rail in seventh. Still trailing the field at the middle point of the race was Tequila Fever now fourteen lengths off the pace.
Going into the turn horses were starting to make an early move for the lead in the mile and one sixteenth race. Spanish Sword made a move on the outside of horses and went straight to the lead in the race, showing the field the way to the wire by a length in front of former pacesetter Lustrum, who was beginning to drop way back now after his grueling run leading the pack out of the gate. From way back in the pack anymore’s colt Wild Eddi, the favorite in the race, also went around horses and now found himself in third, trailing Spanish Sword by three and three-fourths lengths, still with some ground left until the wire. Relax Wolf (CZE) had moved up into fourth with Kid Welcome drifting out of the race now and backing up into fifth position and continuing to drop back quickly. End Up Alone was also dropping back off the pace and was now in sixth with Seduced’nabandoned right off of his flank in eighth to the inside on the rail. Ghost Dancers, trained by super22 was starting to make a gradual move towards the inside on the rail and was working out a good trip, moving up quickly and making up good ground. Majestic Dance, trained by robinhood, who hadn’t shown much the whole race was beginning to drop back with the increased speed as the horses made their way into the stretch. He was now in tenth, right in front of Airmont Survivor, owned by dundy, who was now starting to make a move on the outside with the rest of the field as they continued through the turn into the stretch. Pjlstables’ Disrepute wasn’t having much of a good here in the El Camino Derby (G3) and had now dropped off into twelfth just in front of House Of Wolves, trained by watershed. Tequila Fever continued to trail the field fifteen lengths back as they came into the stretch.
Spanish Sword flew towards the wire, continuing to lengthen his lead under jockey G. Kernutt. Pacesetter Lustrum had fallen far off the pace and was no longer in contention. Now running in second and gaining some ground on Spanish Sword down the stretch was the race favorite Wild Eddi. Airmont Survivor was running far back in third but was still making a good run towards the wire. The race would come down to Spanish Sword and Wild Eddi. Though Wild Eddi was moving up and gaining ground, he wasn’t going to catch Spanish Sword today as the light gray son of top sire El Prado (IRE) went on to win the mile and one sixteenth race by two and three-fourths lengths over Wild Eddi in second in a time of 1:42 1/5, a stakes record due to to the race being in its inaugural year. Airmont Survivor came home to round out the field for third.
Also rans: Ghost Dancers, Relax Wolf (CZE), House Of Wolves, Lustrum, Seduced’nabandoned, Why So Serious, End Up Alone, Majestic Dance, Disrepute, Kid Welcome and Tequila Fever.