Rock Your World, unbeaten and untested in his first three races, the first two on turf and the third a front-running score in the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 3 in his main track debut, returns to grass in Sunday's Grade 2 Twilight Derby, closing-day feature at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.
“We think he's a horse that can run on either surface,”
John Sadler said of the three-year-old Candy Ride colt owned by Hronis Racing LLC and Talia Racing LLC, who in his seventh career race wears blinkers for the first time in the Twilight Derby.
“He'll run with a small blinker just to keep him a little more focused,” Sadler said. “It won't be a big cup, just what we call French blinkers.
“We want to put him back on turf for this race; he's trained really well. There have been no blips, (Umberto) Rispoli stays on him and we're looking forward to it.”
Rispoli has ridden Rock Your World in four of his six races, winning three and finishing second once. Joel Rosario was aboard for the other two races, in the Kentucky Derby when Rock Your World was sandwiched at the start and lost all chance, and in the Belmont Stakes when he prompted the pace early in the mile-and-a-half marathon but tired to finish sixth.
Rock Your World, winner of the restricted Pasadena Stakes on Santa Anita's turf course Feb. 27 before capturing the Santa Anita Derby, was second to Kentucky Derby winner and Breeders' Cup Classic-bound Medina Spirit last out in the Shared Belief Stakes on dirt at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., Aug. 29.
A $650,000 purchase at the September 2019 Keeneland Sales, Rock Your World, who was bred in Kentucky by HOF trainer Ron McAnally and his wife Debbie, has earned $611,600 but would exceed that with a Twilight Derby victory, worth $120,000 to the winner.
The $200,000 Twilight Derby at 1 1/8 miles is the 10th and final of 10 races with a 12:30 p.m. first post time: Flashiest, Abel Cedillo, 6-1; Subconscious, Juan Hernandez, 6-1; Zoffarelli, Drayden Van Dyke, 8-1; Hudson Ridge, Flavien Prat, 5-1; None Above the Law, Joe Bravo, 6-1; Wootton Asset, Mike Smith, 12-1; Cathkin Peak, Jose Valdivia Jr., 8-1; Rock Your World, Umberto Rispoli, 5-2; Jungle Cry, Kyle Frey, 12-1; and Beyond Brilliant, Kent Desormeaux, 15-1.
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