Practical Move, inside, held off Mandarin Hero, center, and Skinner to win the $750,000 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby April 8 at Santa Anita Park. (Eclipse Sportswire)
Practical Move unveiled another dimension to his potentially limitless talent via his bravery in the final strides of the April 8 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby. With local nemesis Skinner running the best race of his life and Japanese import Mandarin Hero proving he belonged with just about any American Triple Crown hopeful, Practical Move prevailed in a nail-biter.
“It was a thriller and a half,” said Pierre Jean Amestoy Jr., who owns Practical Move with his wife, Leslie, and Roger Beasley. “He fought them off the last sixteenth of a mile and just showed how brave he is.”
One in Vermillion, ridden by Hector Berrios, set the pace for the first six furlongs, completing the first quarter-mile in :22.30, a half-mile in :46.30, and six furlongs in 1:11.25. By that point, Practical Move had come up to him along the rail, closing the margin to a half-length.
“I made the move a little early,” Vazquez explained, “because I saw Berrios look at me from the inside. I knew he wanted to put me inside a little bit tight, so I just moved my horse to the outside to take a new position, made him relax a little bit.”
As Practical Move was engaging with One in Vermillion on the second turn, Skinner was mounting a gigantic move four wide. It was an even bigger effort for Skinner considering that he had been bumped from both sides while leaving the gate.
Practical Move held off a late surge from Mandarin Hero. (Eclipse Sportswire)
One of those bumping with Skinner was Mandarin Hero directly to his inside. The incident apparently didn’t faze either colt because turning for home they prepared to take on Practical Move in what would be an epic stretch battle.
Practical Move took command at the five-sixteenths pole and by midstretch had a length advantage. But Mandarin Hero and Skinner were coming, and neither planned to let the favorite get away. With Practical Move on the rail, Skinner on the outside, and Mandarin Hero in between, the trio surged toward the finish line together.
Practical Move and Mandarin Hero edged away slightly from Skinner in the final strides, and it took a photo to determine Practical Move as the nose winner over Mandarin Hero. Skinner was a half-length back in third, as Practical Move stopped the timer in 1:48.69.
Tim Yakteen has trained Practical Move throughout his career and now also trains fourth-place National Treasure, previously trained by Bob Baffert. Yakteen also won the Santa Anita Derby in 2022 with Taiba.
“It’s a great feeling to go back to back in this race,” Yakteen said. “The rush you get — that’s why you get in the game.”
Practical Move earned 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for his victory, with 40-30-20-10 going to Mandarin Hero, Skinner, National Treasure, and fifth-place finisher One in Vermillion, respectively. Mandarin Hero, the first horse from Japan to run in the Santa Anita Derby, in five previous starts at Oi Racecourse in Japan, had won four times and finished second once.
“We’re going to the Kentucky Derby!” said an elated Terunobu Fujita, the trainer of Mandarin Hero. “I’m so proud of him. I thought he would not handle the early pace, but he did. I believed he would have a good acceleration in the final stretch as usual — and he did it.”
The Santa Anita Derby field did lose a major competitor when Geaux Rocket Ride had to be scratched the morning of the race. Trainer Richard Mandella said that at about 9 a.m. Geaux Rocket Ride spiked a fever of 103.2.
A son of Candy Ride, Geaux Rocket Ride ran second to Practical Move in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes in only his second start. Prior to that, Geaux Rocket Ride had debuted with a 5 3/4-length score in a six-furlong maiden race at Santa Anita Jan. 29.
Practical Move won his fourth race in seven starts and his third consecutive graded stakes. He finished his 2-year-old season by capturing the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity, and the San Felipe was his 2023 debut.
The Amestoys, whose equine ties include Quarter Horse racing champion First Moonflash and Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racehorses in New Mexico, where they now live, at one time owned a farm in Kentucky. That makes having a horse heading to the Kentucky Derby as one of the top choices even more special.
“We’re going to go out a week early and absorb everything we can in Kentucky,” Pierre said. “We’ll go see some old friends and maybe go visit the old farm even. We’re going to go see his sire, Practical Joke, and we have a mare in foal to Flightline, so we’re going to go see Flightline.”
The Amestoys bought Practical Move for $230,000 at the 2022 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company April 2-year-old sale. Trainer Chad Brown, who trained Practical Joke, bred Practical Move in Kentucky with Head of Plains Partners out of the Afleet Alex mare Ack Naughty.
Faiza Powers Home in Santa Anita Oaks
Faiza and jockey Flavien Prat demolished a field in the April 8 Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks, running her undefeated record to five. She won by 6 1/2 lengths, her biggest winning margin so far.
Trainer Bob Baffert indicated just how special the filly is. "She's just starting to get good," the Hall of Fame conditioner said.
Faiza wins big in the Santa Anita Oaks. (BENOIT photo)
Faiza turned in a perfect performance, sitting off the pace as 91-1 shot Gila winged out to a six-length lead a half-mile into the 1 1/16-mile distance. Faiza and Clearly Unhinged moved up together on the second turn, passing the tiring Gila, but they didn't remain in tandem for long. Faiza quickly left Clearly Unhinged behind, and Prat indeed had so much horse that And Tell Me Nolies, a very talented two-time graded winner, couldn't close ground to do anything but run second, a half-length in front of third-place Window Shopping. Faiza galloped to the wire well in hand, completing the distance in 1:43.27.
In most years, such an impressive Santa Anita Oaks winner would be heading to Churchill Downs and the Grade 1 Longines Kentucky Oaks, and Faiza would certainly be one of the favorites. But horses trained by Baffert are not allowed to race at Churchill Downs this year, and Faiza's owner, Michael Lund Petersen, has elected to keep Faiza with his trainer of choice and bypass the Kentucky Oaks.
"You can't get everything in life," said Petersen. "If that's the price I pay, I want to be loyal to the team that I have. Every success I've had is because of (Baffert). I think he's the best horse trainer in the world."
With the Kentucky Oaks out of the picture for Faiza, Baffert said that he will probably send her to the East Coast for her next race, possibly one of the top 3-year-old filly races on the New York circuit. -- Tracy Gantz
