Court Vision inhales rivals to notch Hollywood Derby

Jockey Ramon Dominguez capped a great afternoon at Hollywood Park on Sunday

by notching his second Grade 1 of the day in the $500,000

Hollywood Derby (G1), guiding IEAH Stables and WinStar Farm's COURT VISION

(Gulch) from last to first in the final quarter-mile to take the 10-furlong

climax to Hollywood's annual Turf Festival.

The 7-2 second choice in the field of nine three-year-olds, Court Vision swung wide on

the final turn for home and, after straightening course in midstretch, closed

with a rush to take the fourth stakes win of his career by three-quarters of a

length in a time of 2:01 2/5 over the firm turf. The Bill Mott-trained sophomore returned $9.60, $4.60 and $3 while capping the $1 exotics of $26.30

(exacta), $272.50 (trifecta) and $2,160.30 (2-3-6-1 superfecta).

Oak Tree Derby (G2) winner Muny (Najran) went to his customary position on

the lead, where he stayed for the opening nine furlongs while rattling off

splits of :25, :49 2/5, 1:13 2/5 and 1:37 2/5. Muny was tracked throughout by

Cowboy Cal (Giant's Causeway) and Dixie Chatter (Dixie Union), and all were

still in the thick of things with a furlong to go. Of those three only Cowboy

Cal continued on in the final eighth as Court Vision began to rally on the far

outside while Midships (Mizzen Mast) also made a good rally late. Cowboy Cal

held off Midships by three parts of a length for the place, returning $6.60 and

$5.20 at 5-1. Midships brought back $7.60 at 12-1 while getting a neck up on Dixie

Chatter, who capped the superfecta by a nose over Muny.

Completing the order of finish were Albahri (Fr) (Bahri), 3-1 favorite Gio

Ponti (Tale of the Cat), Madeo (Mizzen Mast) and Sailor's Cap (Distant View).

A top Kentucky Derby (G1) prospect following wins in the Iroquois S. (G3) and

Remsen S. (G2) as a juvenile, Court Vision wound up third in the Wood Memorial

S. (G1) and Fountain of Youth S. (G2), his two preps for the

Run for the Roses, where he finished 13th. Except for one detour to the Travers

S. (G1), where he was unplaced, Court Vision's focus has been on grass since the

first Saturday in May. After a fourth over soggy ground in the Colonial Turf Cup

(G3), Court Vision fell short of Gio Ponti by a nose after a prolonged stretch

duel in the Virginia Derby (G2). He would eventually return the favor in the

October 4 Jamaica H. (G2) at Belmont Park, outrunning that rival to win by three

parts of a length. Adding the Hollywood Derby to his tally, Court Vision became

racing's newest millionaire with $1,006,400 in earnings from a line of 12-5-2-2.

Bred by William S. Farish and Kilroy Thoroughbred Partnership in Kentucky,

Court Vision is out of the unraced Weekend Storm (Storm Bird), a full sister to

1990 Preakness S. (G1) hero Summer Squall as well as a half-sister to 1992 Horse

of the Year and mega-sire A.P. Indy (Seattle Slew) and multiple Grade 3-placed

stallion Honor Grades (Danzig). Court Vision is himself a full brother to

multiple Hong Kong stakes victor Garcia Marquez as well as Kipling, the sire of

Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) winner Kip Deville. Weekend Storm has also produced

Grade 1-placed stakes winner Lord Snowdon (Seeking the Gold) and a yearling colt

named Hailstone (City Zip).

Court Vision was a pinhooking success, bringing $180,000 as a Keeneland

September yearling and $350,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Calder two-year-old.