LOS ANGELES — The dream continues.
Practical Move, purchased in part by a New Mexico couple for a mere $230,000, etched his name near the top of the Kentucky Derby favorite's leaderboard with a thrilling win in the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on Saturday.
The 3-year-old colt dug down through a stirring stretch duel to hold off the Japanese-bred Mandarin Hero by a nose to get the 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, upping his total to 160. Only Forte, winner of the Florida Derby, has more with 190. They are likely to be the top two favorites in the May 6 race at Churchill Downs.
It was the second straight Santa Anita Derby win for trainer Tim Yakteen and the third consecutive first-place finish by Practical Move. Yakteen won last year's race with Taiba, a horse that was transferred from the Bob Baffert barn just before the race. Practical Move has been his horse since he started seven races ago with a second-place finish at Del Mar.
"He's still an improving horse and he showed another dimension where he really dug deep and fought off the other horse," Yakteen said. "I think it's another forward step where hopefully it's something we can put in our bag of experience that's going to help him in his next race."
Yakteen's thoughtful response seemed in contrast to sheer exuberance of the colt's owners, Pierre and Leslie Amestoy.
"We've never felt [such a high] before in this sport," Pierre Amestoy said. "We've had some quarter horses win a Grade 1, but it's not like this. This is the ultimate for us."
A lot of owners passed on the horse last year because he was foaled on April 30, making him the youngest horse in the race. Owners prefer horses born in January and February because they are older and considered more mature.
The fact that the horse won the 1 1/8-mile race was not a surprise as the crowd of 31,289 sent him to post as the even-money favorite after his win a month ago in the San Felipe Stakes.
Practical Move broke alertly and settled into third behind One In Vermillion and Low Expectations. As the leaders started to fade, Practical Move went to the lead at the top of the stretch. Mandarin Hero was running mid-pack in the eight-horse field and also started to gather momentum. The two battled stride for stride with Practical Move never giving up the lead.
Practical Move paid $4.00, $3.00 and $2.20. Mandarin Hero was followed by Skinner, National Treasure, One In Vermillion, I Don't Get It, Dazzlemesilver and Low Expectations. Geaux Rocket Ride was scratched because of a fever.
"What a thriller," Pierre said. "It was thriller and a half. I'm just glad we stayed ahead in front. He fought him off the last 16th of a mile and showed how brave he is."
Ramon Vazquez rode the horse for the third straight time and will be making his second trip to the Kentucky Derby. He finished 13th aboard Mr. Z in 2015.
"I moved my horse to the outside to take a new position, made him relax a little bit and when I asked him the last quarter he responded really well," Vazquez said. "You feel amazing when you ride a good horse like that. Your dream is always to go to the Kentucky Derby."
It was the colt's first Grade 1 win to go to with two Grade 2 victories.
Leslie explained the long-term benefit to this victory.
"Stallion," she said, meaning that Grade 1 winners are usually prime candidates for stallion duties after their racing career is over.
The Amestoys, who also have Roger Beasley as a partner, haven't grasped the magnitude of their improbable journey to the Kentucky Derby, admitting they don't know when it will hit them.
"My phone has been buzzing for 15 minutes," Pierre said in the winner's circle shortly after the race. "I don't know who has been calling or texting but I'm guessing all my friends are. We'll come out and see the colt in the morning. See if he's OK and pet him and thank him."
California currently has only two entrants in the Kentucky Derby and both are trained by Yakteen. Reincarnate, who was moved from the Baffert barn, will join Practical Move in Louisville. Baffert is serving the second year of a two-year ban from Churchill Downs after Medina Spirit tested positive for a medication and was stripped of the win. The case is still in litigation.
Skinner, trained by John Shirreffs, is currently 21st on the list with 45 points and just needs one horse to drop out to make the field.
Saturday was essentially the end of Kentucky Derby qualifying with three 100-point races as most of the 20-horse field is set and will be adjusted as horses are pulled out, usually for injury or illness. Next Saturday is a 20-point race at Keeneland, which will be the final race. It's mostly used by horses that are on the cusp of making the field and need just a couple more points. That's how Rich Strike, winner of last year's Kentucky Derby, was eventually allowed to make the starting field.
In Keeneland on Saturday, Tapit Trice rallied late to beat Verifying to win the $1 million Blue Grass Stakes for trainer Todd Pletcher, who also trains qualifiers Forte and Kingsbarns, who won the Louisiana Derby.
The other qualifier Saturday was the $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, where long shot Lord Miles won a three-horse blanket finish and paid $120.50 to win. Lord Miles beat Hit Show by a nose, who beat Dreamlike by a head.
In the Santa Anita Oaks, the filly counterpart to the Santa Anita Derby, Baffert-trained Faiza romped to a win by 6 1/2 lengths. The horse did not collect any Kentucky Oaks qualifying points because the horse remained with Baffert instead of being moved to another trainer.
"I talked with [owner] Michael [Lund Petersen] and he doesn't want his horse with anyone else," Baffert said. "He said that's why he hired me. I told him we could nominate [Faiza] but he said he didn't want to do it."
Santa Anita's 12-race card was dramatically changed after the fifth race when Midnight Jostar slipped on the turf course and fell, sending jockey Kent Desormeaux to the ground.
The horse was OK and got up and continued running but Desormeaux, mostly scratched up, was taken off his mounts for the rest of the card. Santa Anita officials took the three remaining turf races, including the Grade 3 Monrovia Stakes, off the grass, causing a multitude of scratches.
