Rock Your World Gets Back on Turf in Twilight Derby

GI Santa Anita Derby hero Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) looks to take his turf record to three-for-three as he returns to the grass for the first time since February in Sunday's GII Twilight Derby at Santa Anita. Opening his account with a pair of turf victories, including the Pasadena S. Feb. 27, the $650,000 KEESEP buy wired the Santa Anita Derby Apr. 3, but could not reproduce that effort in Louisville, finishing 17th in the GI Kentucky Derby May 1. A well-beaten in the GI Belmont S. June 5, the dark bay checked in second to Derby winner and next-out GI Awesome Again S. victor Medina Spirit (Protonico) in the Shared Belief S. at Del Mar Aug. 29. Rock Your World adds blinkers for this return to the grass.

Several runners from the GII Del Mar Derby run back in this spot, including top two finishers None Above the Law (Karakontie {Jpn}) and Flashiest (Mizzen Mast). Winner of a pair of stakes at Golden Gate, None Above the Law captured the state-bred Real Good Deal S. at Del Mar July 30 before taking the Sept. 4 Del Mar Derby. Flashiest took the restricted Oceanside S. July 16, but was a well-beaten 11th in the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational S. Aug. 7. He was only 3/4 of a length behind None Above the Law last out.

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Santa Anita Derby Winner Rock Your World Returns To Turf In Sunday’s Twilight Derby

Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World will return to turf as he figures prominently in a very competitive field of 11 sophomores going a mile and one eighth in Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita. Sunday is closing day of the track's 16-day Autumn Meet and there will be mandatory payouts in all exotic wagers, including the popular 20 cent Rainbow Pick Six Jackpot, which if there is no single ticket winner on Saturday, could produce a total pool that could reach $5 million. Special early first post time is at 12:30 p.m.

Trained by John Sadler, Rock Your World, who won his first two starts on grass here last winter, transitioned to the main track for the first time in his third start, the Santa Anita Derby on April 3 and he responded with a resounding 4 ¼ length win over eventual Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit.

From there, it was downhill, as Rock Your World was distanced in the Run for the Roses May 1, finishing 17th, beaten 24 ¼ lengths and was then run off his feet in the Belmont Stakes, finishing 22 lengths behind Essential Quality while running sixth. Freshened by Sadler, Rock Your World, who was bred by Hall of Fame conditioner Ron McAnally and his wife Debbie, came back to run a big second, beaten 1 ¼ lengths by Medina Spirit in the one mile Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar Aug. 29 when reunited with Umberto Rispoli, who hadn't ridden him since victorious in the Santa Anita Derby.

Owned by Hronis Racing, LLC and Talla Racing, LLC, Rock Your World is by Candy Ride out of the Empire Maker mare Charm the Maker. A winner while forwardly placed of the one mile turf Pasadena Stakes in his second start on Feb. 27, Rock Your World sat a close third early to the top of the lane and kicked on nicely through the lane under Rispoli in an effort that suggests he does not need the lead in his return to grass on Sunday. The leading money earner in the field with $611,600, Rock Your World has three wins and a second from six starts.

Under a picture perfect ride from Joe Bravo, California-bred None Above the Law saved ground, idled patiently around the far turn and kicked through at the rail to take a roughly run Grade 2 Del Mar Derby at a mile and one eighth on turf Sept. 4. Second, beaten a neck over the course here at Santa Anita in the mile and one eighth Snow Chief Stakes four starts back on June 19, this gelding by Karakontie has shown ample versatility and gameness over 14 starts for Peter Miller, posting a 6-2-1 record.

Owned by Downstream Racing, LLC, None Above the Law has won four stakes over three different surfaces, two at Del Mar and a pair at Golden Gate Fields and he has earnings of $454,060.

Trainer Jeff Mullins' Irish-bred Zoffarelli, fresh off a couple of rough trips on turf at Del Mar, needs only clear sailing to have huge chance in the Twilight Derby. Second, beaten a nose going a mile and one sixteenth in his U.S. debut in the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap Aug. 8, he was “pinballed late” in a huge effort. Subsequently sixth, beaten two lengths by None Above the Law after lacking room in a field of 13, Zoffarelli looms large indeed with Drayden Van Dyke riding back.

Owned by Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal, Zoffarelli has a 9-2-5-0 mark with earnings of $110,825.

Third, beaten a head as the 8-5 favorite by Zoffarelli two starts back in the Grade 3 La Jolla, Bob Baffert's Hudson Ridge was a much troubled ninth, beaten 3 ¼ lengths, as the 9-5 favorite in the Del Mar Derby when ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat. Severely pinched at the rail in the run out of the mile and one eighth chute at Del Mar, Hudson Ridge became rank and then had nowhere to go a furlong from home.

A winner of the ungraded Cinema Stakes at a mile and one eighth on turf four starts back here on May 23, Hudson Ridge will hope for clear sailing on Sunday with Prat back aboard. A bay colt by 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah out of the Galileo mare Shell House, Hudson Ridge is owned by Double L Racing and Natalie J. Baffert. With two wins and as many seconds from eight starts, he has earnings of $143,440.

A pair of recent turf allowance winners, the John Shirreffs-trained Beyond Brilliant, an impressive gate to wire winner going a mile and one sixteenth at Del Mar Sept. 6 and Richard Mandella's Subconscious, who although he stayed on his left lead through the lane, kicked nicely for home to win by 1 ¼ lengths going a flat mile on Oct. 2, are both up and comers who figure to stay out of trouble.

THE GRADE 2 TWILIGHT DERBY WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 10 of 10 Approximate post time 4:45 p.m. PT

  1. Flashiest—Abel Cedillo–124
  2. Subconscious—Juan Hernandez—124
  3. Zoffarelli—Drayden Van Dyke—124
  4. Hudson Ridge—Flavien Prat—124
  5. None Above the Law—Joe Bravo—124
  6. Wooton Asset—Mike Smith- 124
  7. Cathkin Peak—Jose Valdivia, Jr.—124
  8. Rock Your World—Umberto Rispoli—124
  9. Jungle Cry—Kyle Frey—124
  10. Beyond Brilliant—Kent Desormeaux—124

Sunday's 20 cent Rainbow Pick Six Jackpot will be comprised of races five through 10. With a mandatory payout and the possibility of a total Rainbow Six pool of $5 million, approximate post time for Sunday's fifth race is 2:30 p.m. PT.

Special early first post time on Sunday is at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Miller Contemplates Next Start For None Above The Law

Peter Miller looked down the shedrow and smiled approvingly as one of his young sons was petted None Above the Law, the versatile 3-year-old California-bred who had pulled off a 10-1 upset in Saturday's $250,000 Grade 2 Del Mar Derby at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

“He looks great, he's happy, he feels good, he's a cool head,” Miller said, referring to the horse.

None Above the Law raced three times at the meeting, finishing ninth, beaten only three lengths in the opening day Oceanside Stakes at a mile on turf on July 16, winning the Real Good Deal Stakes at seven furlongs on dirt on July 30 and then prevailing by three-quarters of a length in the 1 1/8-mile Derby when guided along the rail in the stretch by jockey Joe Bravo.

None Above the Law was the second Miller trainee to win two stakes at a summer meeting. He saddled Red Outlaw to win the Real Good Deal and El Cajon in 2014.

“I do remember Red Outlaw,” Miller said. “A real nice horse that ran for Blinkers On Stable. To win the Real Good Deal and the Del Mar Derby (as None Above the Law did) – I don't think that double has been done before.”

The win boosted None Above the Law's career earnings to $454,060, a number that Miller would like to enhance during the fall meeting here, via an undercard stakes during the Breeders' Cup days of November 5-6 or one of the Bing Crosby season stakes that follow.

“I don't know what they have on the undercard, I haven't checked but I know the Hollywood Derby in the fall would be a possibility. We'd like to keep him with 3-year-olds. I just don't think he's quite up to Breeders' Cup capabilities at this point.”

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None Above The Law Takes Inside Route To Del Mar Derby Victory

Given a ground-saving ride by veteran Joe Bravo, the gray gelding None Above the Law fired in the lane and came away a winner of the 77th running of the Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby at the seaside course north of San Diego, Calif., on Saturday, proving best by three-quarters of a length in the $254,000, Grade 2 headliner.

The son of the Japanese stallion Karakontie who was bred in California by his owners, J. Kirk and Judy Robison of El Paso, Texas, found running room in the stretch and outfinished 12 rivals late to tally his sixth victory and earn a first prize of $150,000, which pushed his earnings up to $454,060. He is trained by Peter Miller.

Finishing second in the 3-year-old contest on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course was Wachtel Stable, Barber or Drion, et al's Flashiest, who had a head on Reddam Racing's Hockey Dad, the race's pacesetter who hung tough late.

Final time for the nine furlongs out of the angular Del Mar infield chute was 1:48.97.

None Above the Law paid $23.00, $13.60 and $8.60. Flashiest returned $14.80 and $8.00, while Hockey Dad paid $7.60 to show.

This was the first stakes win in the Del Mar Derby for both Bravo and Miller. The jockey is riding his first full season at Del Mar. Miller is the current meet's leading trainer and is en route to winning his eighth conditioning title at the shore oval.

In the track's Pick 6 Single Ticket Jackpot wager, the bet once again could not be hit and its carryover swelled to $556,901. If it is not hit during tomorrow's 11-race card, it will carry to closing day Monday, which will be a “mandatory” payout afternoon.

First post Sunday will be at 1:30 p.m.

Post-race quotes:

JOE BRAVO (None Above the Law, winner) – “Peter (trainer Miller) told me this horse can do anything. He wins running seven eighths on the dirt; he wins going a mile and one-eighth on the grass. We just saved all we could and I showed him daylight turning for home. He really got up under me. I'm having fun riding out here. Riding for good horsemen and riding good horses in Southern California. What more could a guy want?”

PETER MILLER (None Above the Law, winner) “I know he went from a mile on turf (9th, Oceanside Stakes) to seven-furlongs on the dirt (won Real Good Deal) to a mile and an eighth on the turf to win this. You won't find that in any training manual, that's not the way you do it. But this horse just does everything well. He's just an overachiever and I just love this horse. The Robinsons are longtime clients and what a ride by Joe Bravo.”


FRACTIONS:  :23.80  :48.00 1:12.89  1:37.51  1:48.97

The stakes win was the fourth of the meet for rider Bravo, but his first in the Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby. He now has six stakes wins at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the fourth of the meet for trainer Miller, but his first in the Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby. He now has 42 stakes wins at Del Mar.

The winning owners are also the breeders, J. Kirk and Judy Robison of El Paso, Texas.

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