Kentucky-bred Salamis rallied strongly in the lane to prove best in the $300,000 Hollywood Derby (G1) at Del Mar.
A Juddmonte homebred trained by Chad Brown, Salamis raced in fifth position early in the 1 1/8-mile turf test. He moved into range three wide around the far turn before tipping out in the lane. He closed resolutely in the stretch to defeat Tom’s Magic by a neck at the finish. In winning the first graded race of his career, the 3-year-old son of Speightstown stopped the clock in 1:50.74 under Umberto Rispoli.
“We had a nice chat this morning. Chad (Brown) was pretty straightforward, which was to pump him out of the gate,” Rispoli said. “I worked on him out of the gate. I was a little worried about the slow pace. But I know Chad’s horses always have a nice turn of foot.”
Salamis is now a two-time stakes winner. He also captured the Gio Ponti Stakes in September during the Belmont at the Big A Meet. The $180,000 winner’s share of the Hollywood Derby purse increased his bankroll to $353,363. Salamis is out of the First Defence mare Antonoe, who is also the dam of Matriarch Stakes (G1) winner Segesta.
“This horse is really talented, and I knew he could get there,” said Jose Hernandez, assistant trainer to Chad Brown. “He’s been running well in his last three races. He’s been training well at Keeneland and here. He deserved to win this race.”