‘Other Chad Brown’ Annals of Time Wins G1 Hollywood Derby

Lightly-raced Annals of Time, under a brilliant ride by East Coast star Javier Castellano, darted through a narrow opening in midstretch and overhauled stablemate Beach Patrol nearing the wire to win the Grade 1 $300,000 Hollywood Derby Saturday at Del Mar.

Sent postward at 5-1, Annals of Time, a winner once in three lifetime starts, all in New York, finished powerfully to score by a length and one-half, with Beach Patrol second under Florent Geroux. Longshot Frank Conversation was third, a half-length behind the runner-up and a length in front of fourth-place Hayabusa One in the field of a dozen three-year-olds.

Chad Brown, leading trainer in America this year for money won, sent out three horses in the Hollywood Derby, the first two finishers, and Camelot Kitten, the lukewarm 7-2 favorite who was seventh under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Annals of Time, a son of Temple City owned by Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence, ran the mile and one-eighth over the infield grass course in 1:47.73 and returned $13.80, $7 and $4.60. Beach Patrol, second choice in the betting at 7-2, paid $5.20 and $4, while Frank Conversation, a 19-1 outsider, returned $10.60 to show.

Annals of Time won his career debut a year ago at Aqueduct, was out of action until the following September when he was second in an optional claiming race and came into the Hollywood Derby from a third-place in the Grade III Hill Prince, beaten a length by stablemates Camelot Kitten and Beach Patrol. His win in the Hollywood Derby was worth $180,000.

In Saturday’s supporting feature, the Grade 2 $200,000 Bayakoa Handicap, Vale Dori, the 1-2 favorite under jockey Mike Smith, won as expected, scoring by an easy three lengths over a mile and one-sixteenth on the main track.

Smith turned in a typically well-calculated ride aboard Vale Dori, stalking the early pace until the head of the stretch where the four-year-old Bob Baffert-trained filly asserted herself to take command and then draw out in the final stages.

Wild At Heart, with Castellano in the saddle, closed well to be second without threatening the winner, finishing three-quarters of a length in front of the third-place longshot, Moyo Honey. Show Stealer was fourth in the field of eight older fillies and mares.

Vale Dori, a daughter of Asiatic Boy bred in Argentina and owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum, ran the distance in 1:44.79 and returned $3, $2.40 and $2.10. It was her fifth victory in ten starts and first money of $120,000 increased the filly’s earnings to $454,943.

Runner-up Wild At Heart paid $4 and $3.40, while Moyo Honey returned $10 to show.

The 2016 fall Bing Crosby racing season concludes Sunday, featuring the Grade 1 $300,000 Matriarch Stakes for older fillies and mares at one mile on the turf. Post time for the first of nine races is 12:30 p.m. There will be an $89,411 Pick Six carryover and a mandatory payout Sunday in the Pick Six at Del Mar after action closed out Saturday on the track’s penultimate fall meet card.

Hollywood Derby Quotes

JAVIER CASTELLANO (Annals of Time, winner) – “I tried to save ground as much as I could. I was covered up for most of the way. I give Mr. Brown (trainer Chad Brown) all the credit for shipping out a young horse like this – a horse making only his fourth start – and shipping him to the west coast and having him ready to run a race like this. He was powerful. When I asked him in the stretch he put in a powerful kick. Very strong; very impressive. And he galloped out strong and straight. Distance will be no problem with him.”

FLORENT GEROUX (Beach Patrol, second) — “I had a very good trip; right where I wanted to be. My horse ran well, but the winner was best. He’s a nice horse.”

MARIO GUTIERREZ (Frank Conversation, third) – “A good trip for him. And a good try.”

VICTOR ESPINOZA (Hayabusa One, fourth) – “My trip was good and he gave it a good try. I think this one wants to run farther.”

CHERIE DE VAUX, assistant to Chad Brown (Annals of Time, winner) – “He’s lightly raced, he had some minor issues to deal with before we could get him started, so he was the fresher of the three (Brown entrants). Beach Patrol and Camelot Kitten have had really hard campaigns this year, they’ve been travelling and running very well. It’s important for us to get the lay of the land for Breeders’ Cup here next year. Chad really wanted to come but he had a family obligation in New York.”

FRACTIONS:  :23.83  :47.81  1:12.03  1:36.21  1:47.73

The stakes win was the first ever at Del Mar for rider Castellano. The stakes win was the first ever at Del Mar for trainer Brown.

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club