Stronghold outduels Imagination in Santa Anita Derby

Apr 06, 2024 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Rick and Sharon Waller’s homebred Stronghold outdueled even-money favorite Imagination in Saturday’s $751,500 Santa Anita Derby (G1), garnering 100 more points toward the Kentucky Derby (G1). The son of Hall of Famer Ghostzapper has now amassed a total of 125, from his victory in the Feb. 18 Sunland Park Derby (G3) and close second in last December’s Los Alamitos Futurity (G2).

Trained by Phil D’Amato and piloted by Antonio Fresu, Stronghold worked out the right trip as a swift pace unfolded ahead of him. Tapalo, who broke poorly, rushed up from post 2 to take the lead, and he never relaxed through fast fractions. Imagination and 23-1 longshot E J Won the Cup took closer order down the backstretch, and both pounced on the weakening Tapalo swinging for home.

By that point, Stronghold was moving ominously well, and the 2.20-1 chance deftly split Imagination and E J Won the Cup down the lane. Just when Stronghold collared Imagination and struck the front, however, the favorite fought back.

Imagination, under hot-riding Frankie Dettori, appeared game to give the famous jockey his seventh win on the day. But fellow Italian expat Fresu conjured more from Stronghold. Parrying Imagination’s renewed thrust, Stronghold crossed the wire a neck up in a final time of 1:49.98 for 1 1/8 miles.

THRILLER! 💥

An Italian 1-2 as @Antonio1Fresu on STRONGHOLD edges Imagination @FrankieDettori in the G1 @santaanitapark Derby!

pic.twitter.com/F2OZrhsOP2

— World Horse Racing (@WHR) April 7, 2024

Runner-up Imagination is ineligible for points because his trainer, Bob Baffert, is suspended by Churchill Downs Inc. The Doug O’Neill-trained E J Won the Cup held third, earning 25 points. Curlin’s Kaos outperformed his 59-1 odds in fourth (15 points for a total of 19), and Tapalo retreated to fifth (10 points). Wynstock wound up a non-threatening sixth, followed by Mc Vay, who raced erratically after rider Hector Berrios lost an iron early, and the troubled Tessuto.

Kentucky-bred Stronghold, a son of the Grade 2-winning Jimmy Creed mare Spectator, has now bankrolled $827,200 from his 6-3-3-0 line. When breaking his maiden at Churchill Downs last fall, he beat future Road to the Kentucky Derby heroes Resilience and Track Phantom. Stronghold was next a distant second to Nysos in the Bob Hope (G3), but missed by only a half-length to Wynstock in the aforementioned Los Alamitos Futurity. He’s progressed significantly since then, as his convincing reversal of form with Wynstock in the Santa Anita Derby proves.

Fresu, already a Group 1 winner internationally, was celebrating his first Grade 1 trophy in North America. But his emotion in the winner’s circle was more about the tragic death of his friend, jockey Stefano Cherchi, who succumbed to head injuries sustained in a recent spill in Australia. Fresu said that he felt Cherchi’s assistance as he urged Stronghold home in the final yards.

“I want to dedicate this to my friend that passed away,”Fresu said. “I felt like he was there with me today. Stefano Cherchi was an amazing guy, and I want to dedicate this to him.”

Fresu expressed his gratitude to the Stronghold connections.

“It is my first Grade 1 in America, and it is all thanks to these great people that gave me the opportunity to ride this fantastic horse. He proved to be a good horse last time. I loved the way Phil D’Amato was training him the last couple of works. The horse was getting so much confidence, and he was getting so much better than before. Today he proved to be a very good horse. Still, when he hit the front, he didn’t want to stay alone, he was waiting for some company…

“I love this horse from the first time I sat on him. I saw all the time I breezed him and been riding him, with every race I see his improvement. To be honest, I was very confident that he could do it. And he did it. Fair play to this horse, he is just amazing.”

D’Amato was glad to see his morning lessons paying off.

“He didn't really get the easiest trip coming around the turn, but luckily, he was able to squeeze through a small hole there and prove that he can be the best when it comes down to the wire,” his trainer said.

“I think this was a great education for him, and a nice test that he's going to need to win a race like the Kentucky Derby. I've been training him exactly the way he performed this afternoon, sitting him behind teams, having him come get them. That's what you're going to need to win big races like the Kentucky Derby, and he's developing into that horse.”