Mike LaRosa LA Derby (Grade 2)- $1,000.000 Purse
FG- For Three Year Olds
One Mile and Three Sixteenths on the Dirt
March 23, 2024

In a strong field for the first LA Derby named in honor of Mike LaRosa, you could make the case for several of these in their ability to get the job done. One of them was the virtual equine version of Doc Rivers, whose career has been anything but a slam dunk to this point. His career has been good, winning the $200.000 Sleepy Hollow, and then finishing fourth in three straight KYD preps. But to get into the KYD, you need to be more than just good, and continuously finishing fourth might get a small cut of the purse each time, but it’s not going to get you into the big race. On Saturday, Doc Rivers took to what has been his home track of sorts, given that this would be his third straight race at FG and even though he was dead last and eleven lengths back at around “halftime”, he came storming back in the fourth quarter, creating a little March Madness into the KYD point leaderboard and getting the 100 points, clinching his spot in the big race. He is trained by D J C Racing Stables and was ridden by D E Centeno. For each, it is their first win in this race. Congratulations to them! The time of the win was 1:54.71, the second quickest of the races run at this distance. Let’s take a look at it now!

(½ Mile- :46.92)- Heading down the frontstretch and around the opening turn, two horses look to break away from the rest of the field. Very Profound, in the silks of Mb Stables, is one of them, and he will lead TwinTowersRacing’s Beaten Path by half a length early on. There’s a gap of about two lengths to Yankee, who settles in the third position for Smokey Stover, as the Fractious- trained Super Powers runs to his inside. Running right behind these two are Freakie The Ghost (Mb Stables), who holds the rail, and Hyakutake (Riggins Racing). Walk Em Down is in the middle of the pack for Mb Stables, keeping to himself for now. After a gap of a length and a half, we have a group of four consisting of Fayette County (Dmc Racing), Chicken Force (Delta Farms), Fun Runner (Asgar), and Master and Commander (Fractious). Further back, we have Key To The Forest (Alydar Stables) and Castel Trosino (First Flight Stable). Then, at the rear of the pack, and eleven lengths from the lead is where we find our eventual winner from D J C Racing Stables, Doc Rivers. Don’t worry about him, though, this is the way he typically runs at the start.

(3/4 Mile- 1:11.10)- We don’t see too much change in the running order of the field as they finish running down the backstretch and enter the turn. Very Profound is still the pacesetter while Beaten Path runs to his outside. The gap over the rest of the field is still a length and a half or so, and it’s both Yankee and Super Powers who are there, running evenly with one another. Behind them, Freakie The Ghost and Hyakutake are joined by Walk Em Down, making a three wide group between them. Master And Commander is then a half-length ahead of Fayette County. Fun Runner, Chicken Force, Key To The Forest, and Castel Trosino are all at the back as well, but the one that can see them all in front of him is still Doc Rivers. He still scored as being eleven lengths from the front.

(Top of Stretch, 2F To Go)- As we move into the stretch, it’s very clear that neither Very Profound or Beaten Path are going to be cashing a check on these day, as they get leg weary, and the rest of the field closes in. But who’s going to be the one to take control of this race? Hyakutake looked to be in a good lane, four wide, to make his run to the finish and for now both Super Powers and Yankee looked to be hanging tough. Walk Em Down tried to make a move as well, but he still needed a little more room to work with in order to split those two. Freakie The Ghost and Master and Commander were still alive in the middle of the field and those who had been at the back were also gaining ground quickly. It was setting up well for a closer, and there’s none better here than Doc Rivers, and he was making headway while running five wide, though the lane was clear. Could he get up for fourth, or fare much better than that?

(Finish- 1:54.71)- In the stretch, it was Hyakutake that continued to be in a great spot if Doc Rivers was not going to be able to get up there in time. Since that one was looking good, Walk Em Down was now in the clear and had more than enough time to pounce. But Doc Rivers was cutting the lead, and with a furlong to go, he only had two lengths to make up on Hyakutake. That was an accomplishment, because he was gaining on a horse that was also in pretty good stride. A good finish was certainly in the making, and Walk Em Down was doing his part to ensure that he would be involved, too. They would be three wide at the wire, and with a late push that would make his namesake proud, Doc Rivers prevails in the photo over Walk Em Down, who is second, and the third place Hyakutake. Master And Commander would be the one getting fourth, by half a length over Key To The Forest and Fun Runner. The rest of the order will read Super Powers, Beaten Path, Freakie The Ghost, Yankee, Fayette County, Chicken Force, Castel Trosino, and Very Profound.

About The Winner- Doc Rivers, trained by D J C Racing Stables and ridden to victory by D E Centeno, is a three-year-old gelding by W W Durant and is out of Doctor Z. He was bred in New York as a first quarter two-year-old by D J C Racing Stables, the only trainer for which he has ever known. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his third in eight starts, his second stake win and first graded win. His career earnings are now $777.760.

Track: Fast
Time: :46⁴  1:11  1:36¹  1:54³

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 12 – 3 Paid 65.40
$1 Trifecta: 12 – 3 – 9 Paid 1,318.40

Scratched: Fujisan, Hereslookinatya

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES