A trio trained by Jerry Hollendorfer heads a list of 23 3-year-olds nominated for the $200,000 El Camino Real Derby (gr. III) Feb. 18 at Golden Gate Fields.
Hollendorfer has nominated Longview Drive, listed at 50-1 odds at the start of the first Kentucky Derby Future Wager Feb. 10, as well as Russian Greek and the filly Lady of Fifty. Hollendorfer has won the El Camino Real Derby a record five times, most recently in 2009 with Chocolate Candy.
The El Camino Real Derby is contested at 1 1/8 miles on Golden Gate's Tapeta main track.
Longview Drive, a Pulpit colt owned by Steve Beneto, is coming off a third-place finish in the Sham Stakes (gr. III) Jan. 7 at Santa Anita, beaten one length after setting a quick pace. He was third in the Delta Jackpot (gr. III) last November after winning a pair of stakes at Santa Rosa and Fresno.
Olympia Star's Russian Greek has won the Gold Rush Stakes and California Derby in succession, using a powerful closing kick to win both races. The dark bay colt is by Giant's Causeway out of Sand Dollar, by 1996 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner Grindstone.
Lady of Fifty, who would be facing males for the first time, has won three consecutive stakes at Golden Gate. Owned by Hollendorfer and George Todaro, the daughter of After Market most recently captured the California Oaks by 3 1/4 lengths with Russell Baze aboard.
Baze has won the El Camino Real in six of the past seven years and a record eight times overall. He rode Silver Medallion to victory in last year's renewal for trainer Steve Asmussen, who has nominated Bob and Cathy Zollars' Daddy Nose Best. The son of Scat Daddy was fifth last out in Santa Anita's Eddie Logan Stakes on grass Dec. 31.
Also nominated are Kjell H. Qvale's Cahill Chrome and Gary and Cecil Barber's Senor Rain, second and third, respectively in the 1 1/16-mile Cal Derby.
Trainer Doug O'Neill has nominated a pair for Zillah and Paul Reddam, Basmati and Handsome Mike. Basmati, runner-up in the Delta Jackpot, has not been out since running 11th in the CashCall Futurity (gr. I) at Hollywood Park Dec. 17. Handsome Mike was most recently fourth in the Sham.
Team Valor International's Howe Great and Lucky Chappy, first and second respectively in the Kitten's Joy Stakes on the Gulfstream Park turf Jan. 21, were both nominated by trainer Graham Motion.
Other nominees are All Squared Away, Boat Trip, Castaway, Coach Royal, Holy Candy, Man Overboard, Our Boy Benjamin, Pepnic, Rockinarz Recruit, Tiz Point, Unusual Heatwave, Unveiled Heat, and Vibrato Jazz.
