The $200,000 Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby is the lone Kentucky Derby prep race Saturday, February 14 as a field of ten is set to contest the mile and an eighth race at Golden Gate Fields. The first through fourth place finishers in the race will receive KY Derby qualifying points on a 10-4-2-1 scale.
Conquest Typhoon is the 7/2 morning line favorite for trainer Mark Casse, and will be making the first start of his three year-old campaign after winning two of six as a juvenile including the Grade 2 Summer Stakes at Woodbine and Grade 3 Cecil B. Demille Stakes at Del Mar. The three year-old son of Stormy Atlantic has been idle since the November 30 Demille win, but has been working forwardly at Santa Anita for his return. Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will have the mount breaking from post nine.
Indianaughty is the 4/1 second choice for trainer Dale Romans and owner Team Valor International after making a successful U.S. debut with an allowance score January 14 on the turf at Gulfstream. Prior to that effort, the homebred son of Indian Charlie broke his maiden at Lingfield in Great Britain. With two wins in three starts, Indianaughty appears to be a serious colt that could improve with experience. Corey Lanerie gets the call breaking from post two.
Mischief Clem is the 9/2 third choice, but like Conquest Typhoon, will have to overcome a wide draw. The Robert Hess trainee will break from post ten under jockey Kent Desormeaux. Mischief Clem has won three of six starts including the Golden State Juvenile Stakes November 1 at Santa Anita.
The field is set for the $1 million Haskell, where Nyquist will be trying to re-stake his claim as the top three-year-old in the country.
On Sunday at Monmouth Park, the featured race is the $300,000 United Nations Stakes. Scheduled to be run at a mile and three-eighths on the turf, the Grade 1 event has drawn a field of ten colts and geldings.
On Sunday at Monmouth Park, the featured race is the $150,000 Pegasus Stakes, a key prep race for the Haskell Invitational (G1). The Grade 3 event will be contested at a mile and a sixteenth and has drawn a field of seven three-year-olds.
With five grade 1 races and a grade 2, the undercard for the June 11 Belmont stakes could be the best single day of racing on the calendar outside of the Breeders’ Cup.
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