'Bolt' to Retain Castellano for Santa Anita Derby

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, who earned a victory via disqualification in a dramatic running of the GII San Felipe S. aboard Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), will return to Santa Anita to ride the colt in the GI Santa Anita Derby Apr. 7, owner/trainer Mick Ruis said Thursday. Castellano and Bolt d'Oro crossed the wire a head short of McKinzie (Street Sense) and pilot Mike Smith in the San Felipe, but Bolt d'Oro was promoted to first after McKinzie was disqualified for interference in deep stretch.

“Bolt is doing fantastic,” Ruis said. “He's eating everything up, he's 100% sound and he's as healthy as he was going in [to the San Felipe], which was 100%. Hopefully, he'll move up off that race because he really needed it. He was about 80% [fit] for the San Felipe–everybody knows that.”