Our Caravan Takes Calder Derby

Saturday, Calder Race Course 
CALDER DERBY, $258,720, CRC, 4-5, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:54 1/5, ft. 
1–#OUR CARAVAN, 117, c, 3, by Daaher 
     1st Dam: Alwaan, by Elusive Quality 
     2nd Dam: Jersey Girl, by Belong to Me 
     3rd Dam: Miss Bold Appeal, by Valid Appeal 
($190,000 yrl ’12 FTSAUG). O-Anstu Stables Inc; 
B-Hare Forest Farm LTD (KY); T-Michael Dilger; 
J-Manoel R Cruz. $155,000. Lifetime Record: 
4-2-0-0, $180,200. 
2–Ring Weekend, 122, g, 3, Tapit–Free the Magic, by 
Cryptoclearance. ($310,000 yrl ’12 KEESEP). O-St 
Elias Stable & West Point Thoroughbreds; 
B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd (KY); T-H Graham 
Motion. $50,000. 
3–Cleburne, 122, c, 3, Dixie Union–Joyful, by 
Distorted Humor. ($310,000 yrl ’12 KEESEP). 
O-Donegal Racing; B-Earle I Mack LLC (KY); T-Dale L 
Romans. $25,000. 
Margins: 9 3/4, 3 3/4, HF. Odds: 5.60, 0.30, 5.70. 
Also Ran: General Sham’mah, Copa Del Rey, Gaining Ground, Racetrack Romance, Charlie the Boss, Russian Humor. Scratched: Tapicero. Click for the brisnet.com chart or VIDEO. 
The Calder Derby was to serve as a final, easy Kentucky Derby prep for GII Tampa Bay Derby hero Ring Weekend, but the heavy favorite did very little right, and that left open the door for the opportunistic Our Caravan. A 35-1 maiden winner at first asking at Gulfstream before the heavy hitters arrived Dec. 14, the bay was an overmatched eighth behind Cairo Prince (Pioneerof the Nile) in the GII Holy Bull S. Jan. 25 and, despite an allowance option, a distant seventh to Wildcat Red (D’wildcat) in the GII Fountain of Youth S. Feb. 22. With blinkers added here for the first time, Out Caravan raced in a stalking second for the opening six furlongs, with Ring Weekend not far behind. He was joined by the heavy favorite at the quarter pole and may have drifted out ever so slightly in upper stretch, causing Alan Garcia to swing Ring Weekend dramatically outward. Our Caravan spurted clear from there to cross the wire as much the best, then had to withstand a claim of foul from the connections of the runner-up before being declared the official winner. “All we did was add blinkers,” said winning trainer Michael Dilger. “It just goes to show how strong the field was in the Fountain of Youth.” Dilger mentioned next month’s GII Peter Pan S. as a possible next start for Our Caravan.