Trying to make it three in a row for East Coast invaders in the GI Hollywood Derby after Mo Town (Uncle Mo) and Annals of Time (Temple City)'s successes the last two years, an imposing quartet of sophomore turfers will descend upon Del Mar Saturday for the last Grade I grass race of the season.
Peter Brant's Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) did little wrong through his first five outings, but will look to bounce back from a subpar effort as one of the favorites here. Two-for-two before running second in the Manila S. July 4 at Belmont, the bay subsequently got up on the wire in the GII Hall of Fame S. at Saratoga and repeated there in the GIII Saranac S. Backed to 45 cents on the dollar in Belmont's GII Hill Prince S. last out Oct. 6, Raging Bull finished an uncharacteristically dull fifth, but that effort has not deterred trainer Chad Brown from giving the colt his first crack at a Grade I.
Brown will also send out OXO Equine's Instilled Regard (Arch) to make his lawn debut. The $1.05-million OBS March purchase put himself on the Derby Trail with a score in the GIII Lecomte S. last winter, but disappointed in his next two before finishing a surprising fourth at 85-1 in Louisville. Switched from the Jerry Hollendorfer barn after that, the dark bay looks to bounce back from a poor showing when last of nine in the GI Pennsylvania Derby last out Sept. 22. There is turf in the family, as his dam is a half-sister to Good Reward (Storm Cat), who conquered this very event in 2004, as well as grass-leaning sire Pure Prize (Storm Cat).
Lightly-raced Carrick (Giant's Causeway) also needs to rebound after finishing a distant sixth in the GI Turf Classic Invitational when last seen Sept. 29 at Belmont. Prior to that, the chestnut appeared an ascendant talent in his division, following up a third in the GIII Kent S. with a 38-1 upset of the GI Secretariat S. Aug. 11 at Arlington.
Rounding out the contending shippers is Robert Evans's Have At It (Kitten's Joy). Upsetting Raging Bull in the Hill Prince, the uniquely-colored colt rallied to be second in the GII Twilight Derby Nov. 4 at Santa Anita. First that day, and looking the most imposing of the local chances, is River Boyne (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}). The dark bay counts four stakes wins on his resume, including the GIII La Jolla H. here Aug. 5.
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