Bolo Looks to Keep Gaines Momentum Going

Making his first start since the July 4 GI Belmont Derby, Bolo (Temple City) looks to keep trainer Carla Gaines's early season momentum going in his return Saturday in the GII Arcadia S. at Santa Anita. Gaines saddled impressive debut winner Fourth Watch (Tapit) in Arcadia Saturday and her new trainee Smokey Image (Southern Image) also dominated in his first start for this barn in the California Cup Derby Jan. 30.

Owned by Golden Pegasus Racing and Earle Mack, Bolo started his career on the turf during his juvenile season with two wins from three starts, including the 2014 Eddie Logan S. Put on the GI Kentucky Derby trail as a sophomore, he finished third to “TDN Rising Star” Dortmund (Big Brown) in both the GII San Felipe S. Mar. 7 and GI Santa Anita Derby Apr. 4, earning impressive Beyer Speed Figures of 101 and 95.

Finishing 12th behind Horse of the Year American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) after some early trouble in the Kentucky Derby, Bolo was returned to the grass and scored a good-looking allowance victory going nine furlongs over the lawn at Santa Anita next out May 29. The dark bay was pulled up early on by Rafael Bejarano when last seen in the Belmont Derby, but did cross the wire ninth before being vanned off.

“It was an undulating racetrack and the horse just kind of bobbled a couple of times early in the race and [Bejarano] was trying to protect the horse, but he came out of it fine,” Gaines told the TDN Thursday afternoon. “He actually went to Del Mar and worked two or three times [after the Belmont Derby] and then we just decided to give him a little break. He had a little bit of a sore shin, but that was really the most of his issues and we just decided to give him a break anyway. He was sound out of that race. I'm sure no one believes that, but it's true!”

Bolo displays a steady string of works at Santa Anita dating back to September, including a pair of bullets last month. The 4-year-old most recently breezed five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 in Arcadia Feb. 7.

“He's been working well,” remarked the 63-year-old conditioner, who also trained Bolo's sire Temple City. “He has really grown up a lot mentally and physically. When he was three, if you put a target in front of him in his workouts, he was pretty much hell bent for leather to catch them. Now, he is just a lot more relaxed in his training. He waits on you to call on him, but all of his works have been very good.”

The dark bay will face some stiff competition in the Arcadia with MGISW Obviously (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}), MGSW Om (Munnings) and GIII La Jolla H. hero Prospect Park (Tapit) signed on.

“I'm a little intimidated, considering that Obviously is such a proven older horse with a lot more experience,” Gaines commented. “Om, even though he is a young horse, has just come around beautifully for Dan Hendricks. He has shown that he is the real deal, too. I think it's a really tough spot to start out in, but unfortunately we don't have a lot of lesser races for horses that have won that many.”

The Alabama native added, “The mile, I think, is a good distance for him to start after the long layoff. Really and truly, he is going to be better going longer distances.”

Sophomores Stars on the Rise…

With Bolo returning to the grass, at least for now, it looks like new stablemate Smokey Image will step up as Gaines's top dirt prospect and could possibly take his conditioner back to Louisville on the first Saturday in May. The Cal-bred will take his first step down the Derby trail in the Mar. 12 GII San Felipe S.

Previously trained by Greg James, the Irving Racing Stable colorbearer was a perfect five-for-five against fellow California-breds during his juvenile campaign, which included four stakes victories. He was making his first start around two turns when debuting for this outfit in the California Cup Derby, where he romped by 8 1/2 lengths (video).

“It was my first race with the horse and he had done nothing but one-turn races as a 2-year-old against Cal-bred company and had won very easily in all of those races,” Gaines offered. “When he came down here, he just needed some time off if we were going to pursue this new Classic route for him. I really hadn't planned on running him in [the California Cup Derby]. I was planning on running him in the [GIII Robert B.] Lewis [Feb. 6], but the horse just came back so quickly in terms of his physical fitness. He put on a good amount of weight and he was surprising me with his works.As it was, he had only had a few works and it was a pretty astounding performance no matter what the company was.”

Being a Cal-bred chestnut with a white blaze ridden by Victor Espinoza, some racing fans are already starting to compare Smokey Image to 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit), who scored his first victory in open company in that year's San Felipe.

“Let's hope they're right! I don't have a problem with that,” Gaines said with a laugh. “It's always unfair to compare, but it seems like we always do, don't we?”

Spendthrift Farm's Fourth Watch stamped herself as another one to watch from the Gaines barn with a decisive first out victory sprinting over the Arcadia lawn Feb. 6. Sitting just off the leaders through swift early splits, the bay split horses in the lane and charged home a 1 1/2 length winner at odds of 13-1 (video).

“You know what, to be honest, we were hoping for that performance,” the conditioner commented. “I can't honestly say I was expecting it, but she is just a horse that we sort of had a feeling, or were hoping anyway, that the grass would be her best suit. I think we are on the right path there.”

As for future plans for the half-sister to MGISW millionaire Jeranimo (Congaree), Gaines said, “The way she handled the down the hill course, as we say in Alabama, she took to it like a duck to water. We would probably attempt that again. It just depends. She is a light filly. We will probably give her good timing to the next race, so I haven't been serious about looking at this stage. I think for her first race against winners, I would prefer to keep her in allowance company and then go to a stake, but we will have to see what is available.”