It has taken some time, but Om (Munnings) has now become something other than a footnote. The chestnut colt, one of the best from his young sire's successful first crop, will look to enhance his reputation as a potentially top turf horse in Saturday's GII Twilight Derby at Santa Anita.
That footnote? Well, Om was the 7 1/4-length winner of the Aug. 9, 2014, Del Mar maiden in which American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) made his much-anticipated debut. After finishing fifth that afternoon, the Zayat runner did not lose again until Keen Ice (Curlin) took down the Triple Crown winner's colors in the GI Travers S. Aug. 29.
Back to Om. The $125,000 Barretts March breezer made a successful transition to grass with a front-running 2 1/4-length defeat of Royal Albert Hall (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) at Santa Anita in May and made the running in the GIII La Jolla H. on the anniversary of his maiden win at Del Mar, only to be run down by the imposing Prospect Park (Tapit). With the latter the long odds-on favorite for the GII Del Mar Derby Sept. 6, Gary Stevens took over at the controls on Om and doled out a moderate pace before holding off Royal Albert Hall by 2 1/4 lengths.
Stevens was also in the irons when Soul Driver (Street Boss) powered his way to a 4 1/2-length victory in the June 20 Singletary S. at this track, but Mike Smith was aboard when the chestnut doubled up in the opening-day restricted Oceanside S. at Del Mar July 16. Soul Driver was narrowly the second choice in the Del Mar Derby behind Prospect Park, but he didn't do a great deal of running that afternoon, finishing eight lengths behind Om.
Daddy D T (Scat Daddy) , winner of the Oak Tree Juvenile Turf at Del Mar and third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf last year, was just outfinished by Papacoolpapacool (Temple City) in a Feb. 22 allowance at this venue and is unraced since a sixth to that rival in the Mar. 21 Pasadena S. Supporters should demand (and should get) value, as the Sadler barn does not shine with its first-up runners.
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