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Dominant Soul leads most of Twilight Derby

San Luis Rey Training Center colt Dominant Soul led for most of the Grade 2 Twilight Derby stakes race Oct. 18, at Santa Anita Park.

Dominant Soul led for the first three-quarters of a mile in the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds on Santa Anita’s turf course before falling to third entering the stretch and finishing last among the nine horses when jockey Edwin Maldonado let the colt relax at the end.

“He ran hard. I wasn’t disappointed in his effort,” trainer Paula Capestro said. “He basically just got outrun. The fractions were three seconds faster than the Del Mar Derby.”

The Grade 2 Del Mar Derby was run Sept. 6 at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and was also a 1 1/8-mile turf race. Dominant Soul led through the first mile of that race and finished third, 1 1/4 lengths behind winner Pixelate.

Pixelate had a winning time of 1:50.25. Smooth Like Strait won the Twilight Derby in 1:46.89. Dominant Soul reached the Del Mar stretch in 1:38.38 and Smooth Like Strait needed 1:35.14 to reach the stretch Oct. 18.

The first three-quarters of a mile of his two most recent races took Dominant Soul 1:14.74 in the Del Mar Derby and 1:11.74 in the Twilight Derby. The fractional times after half a mile were 49.77 seconds Sept. 6 and 47.84 seconds Oct. 18, and for the first quarter of a mile the fractional time dropped from 24.63 seconds to 23.60 seconds.

“They just overpowered him at the end. It was a really tough race,” Capestro said. “He ran his race the best he could.”

Dominant Soul was foaled in Kentucky April 7, 2017.

“Those 3-year-olds were just bigger and more masculine than him,” Capestro said of the Twilight Derby competition. “Some horses get big and strong early and he’s going to be a lighter horse. He’s not going to be a real big horse.”

He was sired by Dominus, and he has Forest Melody for his dam.

The June 6 Cinema Stakes was also a 1 1/8-mile turf race at Santa Anita. Dominant Soul also led that race for the first three-quarters of a mile before Hariboux took the lead before the stretch. Dominant Soul finished fourth in his first stakes race, 2 1/2 lengths in back of Hariboux.

Capestro entered Dominant Soul in a maiden special weight race July 27 at Del Mar. He won that 1 1/16-mile turf race in 1:41.45 and crossed the finish line a length in front of second-place No Slo Mo.

Maldonado also rode Dominant Soul for the Del Mar Derby, so Capestro dispensed with pre-race instructions to the jockey for the Twilight Derby.

“I didn’t need to. The jockey rode perfectly. There wasn’t much we could do,” she said. “The rider did the right thing. He didn’t go out way too fast. The horse ran his race.”

Smooth Like Strait broke second and was in second until overtaking Dominant Soul late in the race. Dominant Soul built up a lead of 1 1/2 lengths over Smooth Like Strait by the end of the first quarter of a mile and was two lengths in front of Smooth Like Strait after half a mile.

“He just got outrun at the end,” Capestro said. “That’s the bottom line.”

Dominant Soul finished 7 1/4 lengths in back of Smooth Like Strait and 1 1/4 lengths behind eighth-place Express Train.

“Once he knew he wasn’t going to get fifth, the rider didn’t push him,” Capestro said. “The race was pretty much over for us.”

Maldonado’s decision to ease up on Dominant Soul maintained the horse’s well-being.

“He came out of the race in good condition,” Capestro said.

The Twilight Derby is the fourth stakes race Smooth Like Strait has won.

“It was a good win for him. Well done,” Capestro said. “The one that won is a very nice horse. I wouldn’t be surprised if that horse goes to the Breeders’ Cup and maybe one or two of the others (who ran in the Twilight Derby).”

Dominant Soul, Kiss Today Goodbye, and K P All Systems Go were the only horses in the Twilight Derby who also competed in the Del Mar Derby.

“Most of the horses in that race were back east at the time,” Capestro said. “I don't think we were really that caliber of horse with that caliber of runners. We need to run him a little easier race a time or two until he gets a little more mature.”

When that next race will be is to be determined.

“We’ll just see how he feels,” Capestro said. “You’ve got to give him a little time to recover.”

Capestro expects the level of competition to be lighter than the Twilight Derby.

“We’ll look for something that's a little easier,” she said. “We’ll see what we can find.”

Author Bio

Joe Naiman, Writer

Joe Naiman has been writing for the Village News since 2001

 

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