I’ll Have Another will have his work cut out in the Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita
Right after breaking his maiden at about five and a half furlongs at first asking in Hollywood Park last year, I’ll Have Another followed it up with a strong second place finish in the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes at about six and a half furlongs to winner Creative Cause, both races were run over synthetic surfaces.
However, he couldn’t really keep the good run going in his next start and last start of his juvenile season, where he finished a disappointing sixth in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes by a massive margin of 19 lengths on 5 September, 2011, to winner Currency Swap.
J. Paul Reddam’s owned, I’ll Have Another, is trained by Doug F. O’Neill, and the 3-year-old Kentucky bred son of Flower Alley turned it around in his seasonal opener, when he was sent at 43 to 1 in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita Park’s dirt course stretched out in distance to 1 1/16 miles.
The 3-year-old posted a huge upset by defeating Empire Way in second and Rousing Sermon in third, and by doing so he caught the attention of many experts with his Lewis Stakes win.
“He’s not a one-race horse,” cautioned O’Neill. “That’s the one thing we talk about at the barn,” O’Neill continued. “We’re all awed by his race in the Bob Lewis, but we were also awed by his debut (a maiden win at Hollywood Park last July 3) and his runner-up finish in the (Grade II) Best Pal (at Del Mar last Aug. 7).”
“He’s always shown a lot of talent, so we’re just hoping he keeps moving forward.”
I’ll Have Another is now pointed toward the Grade 1, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on 7 April, 2012, and the 1 1/8 mile event has reeled in the San Felipe Stakes, Creative Cause, Liaison, the CashCall Futurity winner and also the San Felipe Stakes runner up, Bodemeister.
The Santa Anita Derby is the steppingstone to run in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on 5 May, 2012, for the West Coast runners.
“Hopefully I’ll Have Another will run big in the Santa Anita Derby, come out of it good, and it’s on to Louisville,” O’Neill said.
Tags: