With a deft ride from jockey Javier Castellano, Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence's Annals of Time turned the tables on Chad Brown stablemates Beach Patrol and Camelot Kitten to win the $300,000 Hollywood Derby (gr. IT) Dec. 3 at Del Mar. Video: Hollywood Derby (G1T)
After running third behind those two stablemates last time out in the in the Hill Prince (gr. IIIT) at Belmont Park Oct. 8, the son of Temple City fired his best shot in the 1 1/8-mile Hollywood Derby.
Racing in 10th in the backstretch, Castellano saved ground in the final turn, angled out at the top of the lane, split horses, and outkicked Beach Patrol to the wire to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Frank Conversation, last-out winner of the Twilight Derby (gr. IIT) completed the trifecta.
"I tried to save ground as much as I could (from post 11)," Castellano said. "I was covered up most of the way. ... He was powerful. When I asked him in the stretch he put in a powerful kick—very strong, very impressive—and he galloped out strong and straight."
Blackjackcat sped to the front early and set fractions of :23.83, :47.81, and 1:12.03 through six furlongs, and still held a head advantage with a furlong to run, but came in sixth at the wire.
Annals of Time finished the race in 1:47.73 on firm turf. It was his first graded win, following the Hill Prince third, an allowance/optional claiming second at Saratoga Race Course in September, and a maiden-breaking score at Aqueduct Racetrack in November of 2015.
"He's lightly raced (and) he had some minor issues to deal with before we could get him started, so he was the fresher one of the three," said Brown assistant Cherie DeVaux. "Beach Patrol and Camelot Kitten have had really hard campaigns this year."
Secretariat (gr. IT) winner Beach Patrol, ridden by Florent Geroux, finished a half-length ahead of Frank Conversation, and Hayabusa One closed rapidly from 11th to come in fourth. Two-time Del Mar graded stakes winner Free Rose, Blackjackcat, four-time graded winner Camelot Kitten, Revved Up, Isotherm, Diplodocus, Path of David, and Defiantly completed the order of finish.
"I had a very good trip—right where I wanted to be," said Geroux, who tracked the early leaders in fourth aboard Beach Patrol and briefly held a lead in late stretch before being overcome by Annals of Time. "My horse ran well, but the winner was best. He's a nice horse."
Bred in Kentucky by Monticule out of the Distant View mare Lemon Haze, Annals of Time now has $289,000 in earnings from his four starts.
The Hollywood Derby was the first Del Mar stakes win for both Brown and Castellano. The latter enjoyed a very successful day; in addition to his grade I win, he came in second in the Bayakoa Handicap (gr. II) on Wild At Heart for Richard Mandella, won aboard Bob Baffert-trained American Anthem upon debut, and was second on Champagne Charley for trainer Simon Callaghan.
