Del Mar: Travelers aim for Grade 1 spoils in Hollywood Derby

They have traveled 3,000 miles in hopes of landing a coveted Grade 1 win. They hail from the barns of Chad Brown, Charles Appleby and Mark Casse, and they’re invading Del Mar this weekend as part of a turf festival.

The Hollywood Derby is the first of two Grade 1 races scheduled for this weekend at Del Mar, and Brown has brought Saratoga Derby (G1) winner Program Trading out west. The England-bred colt won the first three races of his career before running second in the Virginia Derby (G3) at Colonial Downs in September.

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“He had a challenging post,” Brown said of that race. “He was a little close to a fast pace. It might have did him in in the end where he got caught by a good horse. Hopefully he’ll work out a better trip this time. A very consistent horse.”

Brown also will send out Redistricting, another England-bred, this one by Kingman. His lone venture into Grade 1 company ended in a forgettable seventh-place finish in the Belmont Derby in July. He rebounded with a win in an entry level allowance race three months later.

“He finished well,” Brown said, “and I think he’s ready to step back up into a big race like this.”

Jockey Joel Rosario, a three-time riding champ at the seashore oval, returns to Del Mar and will be aboard Redistricting.

Appleby will send out Silver Knott, a heartbreaking second in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf when he was nosed out by Victoria Rose. Appleby took the England-bred home for the winter and, following his 2023 debut in May, brought him back to the states.

Silver Knott has run four times since his return, but has yet to get back to the winner’s circle. In his last, the Twilight Agenda (G2) at Santa Anita, he finished second, a half a length behind the winner.

Webslinger comes out of the Casse barn. He is an ultra-consistent son of Constitution who finished a nose behind Silver Knott in the Twilight Agenda. Of his 12 lifetime starts, he has won four times, including the American Turf (G2) on Kentucky Derby day at Churchill Downs. He finished in-the-money five other times, never more than two lengths behind the winner.

“He’s very honest,” assistant trainer Shane Tripp said of Webslinger. “Mark has quite a few divisions and I’ve been blessed enough to have him (Webslinger) in New York. We really like the way he’s been here.”

If all goes well for the connections, Webslinger will be running late.

“You don’t ever want to put him in a position where he has a lot to do,” Tripp said. “But he’s a closer and he needs to be up there close enough where he can strike because he has a big three-eights mile turn of foot.”

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione will fly in to Del Mar to ride Webslinger.

The local contingent is led by Seal Team, the impressive winner of the Twilight Agenda last out at Santa Anita on the Breeders’ Cup undercard.

“He’s doing really good,” said trainer Richard Mandella. “We always thought he was a really good horse and he’s proven us right.”

Others of note are Maltese Falcon, winner of the La Jolla (G3) during the summer meet at Del Mar, and Reiquist, another nose back of Webslinger in fourth in the Twilight Agenda.

The 83rd running of the Hollywood Derby goes off as Race 7 on the nine-race Saturday card, with an estimated post time of 6:30 p.m. EST. Past winners include Affirmed in 1978, Royal Heroine in 1983, Itsallgreektome in 1990, Paradise Creek in 1994 and California Chrome in 2014.

2023 Hollywood Derby G1

Post Silks Horse / Sire Rating Trainer / Jockey Last Start / Next Start HRN
1

Silver Knott
Lope de Vega 6.13 Charlie Appleby
Jamie Spencer 2nd, 2023 Twilight Derby G2 Entered
Last Race 2nd, 2023 Twilight Derby G2
2

Maltese Falcon
Caravaggio 0.00 Leonard Powell
Juan J. Hernandez 11th, 2023 Twilight Derby G2 Entered
Last Race 11th, 2023 Twilight Derby G2
3

Reiquist
Nyquist 3.45 Tim Yakteen
Ramon A. Vazquez 4th, 2023 Twilight Derby G2 Entered
Last Race 4th, 2023 Twilight Derby G2
4

Watsonville
Jack Milton 0.00 Mark Glatt
Antonio Fresu 6th, 2023 Twilight Derby G2 Entered
Last Race 6th, 2023 Twilight Derby G2
5

Webslinger
Constitution 5.47 Mark E. Casse
Tyler Gaffalione 3rd, 2023 Twilight Derby G2 Entered
Last Race 3rd, 2023 Twilight Derby G2
6

Santorini
Twirling Candy 3.79 Rodolphe Brisset
Alex Achard 3rd, 2023 Bryan Station Stakes G3 Entered
Last Race 3rd, 2023 Bryan Station Stakes G3
7

Redistricting
Kingman 0.00 Chad C. Brown
Joel Rosario 7th, 2023 Belmont Derby G1 Entered
Last Race 7th, 2023 Belmont Derby G1
8

Program Trading
Lope de Vega 4.12 Chad C. Brown
Flavien Prat 2nd, 2023 Virginia Derby G3 Entered
Last Race 2nd, 2023 Virginia Derby G3
9

Seal Team
War Front 0.00 Richard E. Mandella
Umberto Rispoli 1st, 2023 Twilight Derby G2 Entered
Last Race 1st, 2023 Twilight Derby G2

Race Video

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