Proletariat dictates throughout in Del Mar Derby

Just as he did in the Oceanside S. on Del Mar’s opening day, Proletariat bossed his rivals on the front end in Sunday’s $301,500 Del Mar Derby (G2). The extra furlong made no difference to the Jeff Mullins trainee, who held sway by a comfortable 1 1/4 lengths.

The most meaningful difference was Proletariat’s price in the Del Mar Derby. The son of Raging Bull went off at a generous 6.40-1 in the Oceanside, when he had yet to win going a mile. Now proven to carry his speed over a route, Proletariat was bet down to 7-10 favoritism to repeat the feat on Sunday, and he did so in straightforward fashion against several of the same rivals.

Regular partner Kyle Frey had the proverbial armchair ride. Proletariat had the shortest way around from post 1, and he kept it simple through fractions of :23.75, :47.87, and 1:12.05. Pavlovian, a Kentucky Derby (G1) also-ran trying turf for the first time, stalked early but faded in the lane.

By that point, Proletariat had already skipped clear. The bay gelding poached a 3 1/2-length advantage by midstretch, clocking a mile in 1:35.85. Frey just kept him on task for the final furlong as he finished 1 1/8 miles on the firm course in 1:47.66.

Bust Out, who raced in third most of the way, gained ground late to take second. Jordi Bear just held third from the rallying Unrivaled Time by a nose. Next came Melismatic, Charlie’s Curlin, Tribalism, and Pavlovian. Secured Freedom was scratched. 

Racing for Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures, Proletariat sports a mark of 7-4-0-3, $389,400. He placed third in his initial stakes attempts in last year’s Del Mar Juvenile Turf (G3) and Zuma Beach (G3), both over a mile. But gelding has helped him this term, and he’s now 3-for-3 as a sophomore. 

“It looked like a replay of the last race, just a little bit farther,” Mullins said of the Del Mar Derby. “I could tell around the turn that Pavlovian wasn’t going anywhere. He was already pushing, and Kyle was still sitting. Kyle’s done a lot of work getting the horse to slow down in the mornings, teaching him how to rate and settle and relax and go when it was time.” 

“Jeff and I talked before the race,” Frey revealed. “He said use your Plan A, unless something comes up. Then go to Plan B, whatever that is. It was Plan A all the way today. This is a nice horse; he’s very generous. And he’s getting better.”

Proletariat’s sire, Raging Bull, was a classy turf three-year-old who progressed as an older horse. Raging Bull scored his first Grade 1 victory in the 2018 Hollywood Derby (G1) over this course and distance, and that would be a logical aim for Proletariat. 

Bred by Liberty Road Stables in Kentucky and purchased for $200,000 at OBS March, Proletariat is a half-brother to 2024 Oaks d’Italia (G2) runner-up Sun Never Sets. They are out of the European stakes performer Kodiak West, a daughter of Kodiac.