I’ll Have Another have the plans laid out for the Grade 1, Santa Anita Derby on 7th April at Santa Anita Park
I’ll Have Another, the three-year-old Kentucky bred colt of Flower Alley, out of Arch’s Gal Edith, is trained by Doug O’Neill, and the colt is owned by Paul Reddam. Aligning his next objective, the connections are sending him for the Grade 1, $750,000
Santa Anita Derby on 7th April, 2012, at Santa Anita Park, which will be raced over 1 1/8 miles.
The connections have been overwhelmed by I’ll Have Another’s seasonal debut victory in the Grade 2, Robert B. Lewis on 4th February at Santa Anita, raced over 1 1/16 miles.
Empire Way was the runner up of the race, while third after the winner was Rousing Sermon.
The favourite for the race, Liaison, was the last horse to leave the track.
“He ran so well, and my brother and I do believe that if you run a horse back too quick, he can bounce,” O’Neill said.
“We were so elated with his win. Here’s a horse coming off a five-month freshening, going two turns for the first time, and he never turned a hair. So we don’t think he needs any extra experience from that standpoint. He’s pretty close on earnings,
so, with a good run in the Santa Anita Derby, he should have enough,” added the trainer.
Two more headed for the Santa Anita Derby are Creative Cause and Fly Lexis Fly.
Both the colts have participated in a number of graded stakes, and have won at different instances.
Especially for Fly Lexis Fly, the Santa Anita Derby would be the colt’s fourth consecutive attempt at a grade 1 race.
He has won two out of the three grade 1 races that he most recently took part in.
Before going for the Derby, Creative Cause has to race through the Grade 2, San Vicente Stakes on 19th February and Grade 2, San Felipe Stakes on 10th March.
The Santa Anita Derby commenced in the year 1935, and is considered to be an important step ahead of the Grade 1, Kentucky Derby because ever since the inception of the Santa Anita Derby, six horses that have won it have succeeded in winning
the Kentucky Derby.
It is now raced over nine furlongs with varying distances previously. The race has been held on multiple surfaces and has come back to dirt in 2011.
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