Practical Move wins in Santa Anita Derby thriller

Apr 08, 2023 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

Practical Move will head to
Churchill Downs
as one of the favorites for the May 6 Kentucky Derby (G1) after winning
Saturday's $751,500 Santa Anita Derby (G1). But the Southern California
contingent appears to have significant depth as the even-money favorite had to
pull out all the stops to win the nine-furlong test narrowly after a three-way
stretch battle.

Receiving a ground-saving trip similar to the one that produced a 2
1/2-length win in the March 4 San Felipe (G2), Practical Move bid inside of
tiring pacesetter One in Vermillion approaching the quarter pole, but by
midstretch found himself in a heated battle with Skinner, who had finished a
distant third in the San Felipe, and Japanese raider Mandarin Hero.

Clinging tenaciously to a narrow lead inside the sixteenth pole, Practical
Move dug in and found just enough to repel Mandarin Hero by a nose, with Skinner
a half-length behind in third. Second choice National Treasure was fourth and
One in Vermillion weakened to fifth in the field reduced to eight following the
scratch of expected pacesetter Geaux Rocket Ride.

Trained by Tim Yakteen for owners Pierre Amestoy, Leslie Amestoy, and and
Roger Beasley, Practical Move covered 1 1/8 miles over a fast track in 1:48.69
and paid $4. He earned 100
Kentucky Derby qualifying points, increasing his total to 160.

Mandarin Hero, who arrived from Japan with four wins from five starts, earned
40 Derby qualifying points. Skinner earned 30 points, increasing his total to
45. National Treasure earned 20 points and One in Vermillion 10 points, which
pushed his total 15.

Needing three starts to break his maiden, and then via disqualification,
Practical Move has since crossed the wire first in three of four stakes
appearances. Third in the seven-furlong Bob Hope (G3) at Del Mar in November,
Practical Move improved stretching back around two turns, taking the
Los
Alamitos Futurity (G2) by 3 1/4 lengths as a 10-1 chance and then the
aforementioned San Felipe at 4-1. Both of those races were at 1 1/16 miles.

Bred in Kentucky by trainer Chad Brown and Head of Plains Partners, Practical
Move most recently sold for $230,000 at the OBS April juvenile sale. By
Practical Move, he was produced by the multiple stakes-placed Ack Naughty, by
Afleet Alex.