Posted on Sun, May. 11, 2008

Gary West: El Gato Malo gives the best Lone Star Derby field ever a lickin

By Gary West

gwest@star-telegram.com

GRAND PRAIRIE — For an instant, a few strides from the finish, three horses lined up, side-by-side, across the racetrack. They had run more than a mile, but the outcome was going to come down to these final yards; it was like a long baseball season going down the to the final day, even to the last out.

But that wasn’t the only reason Saturday’s was the best Lone Star Derby ever. It was best because of the quality on the racetrack, from the top trio all the way back to the 13th horse. And, in the end, The Bad Cat proved to be best of the best.

Rallying from fifth, El Gato Malo got up in the final strides to win Saturday’s $400,000 Lone Star Derby by a half-length over Leonides, who put his nose in front of Samba Rooster at the finish. El Gato Malo completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1 minute, 43.04 seconds, which was a rather flashy clocking for the day.

To put the time in context, two races earlier, Snug gave the performance of his life to win the Stymie division of the Texas Stallion Stakes in 1:44.33 for the 1 1/16 miles. And Formal Flyer won the Pan Zareta division in 1:45.67.

El Gato Malo, in other words, ran many lengths faster. And he got through some traffic and overcame a little bumping at the top of the stretch to seize the victory.

"Going into the race, there were two questions," said El Gato Malo’s trainer, Craig Dollase, from California. "Would he travel outside of California and run well? And would he like the dirt? I think he answered both questions and passed all the tests."

Until Saturday, El Gato Malo had raced exclusively on California’s synthetic surfaces. When he won the San Rafael Stakes, he put himself among the favorites for the Kentucky Derby. Even when he finished second in the Sham Stakes, where he had a journey more troublesome than Marco Polo’s, El Gato Malo remained a prominent Triple Crown candidate.

But then he ran fifth as the favorite in the Santa Anita Derby. Dollase blamed the effort on The Big Cat’s pre-race behavior. Still, El Gato Malo had to prove himself again; he also had to prove he wasn’t some sort of synthetic freak. And he proved all that and more Saturday.

Samba Rooster, as expected, shot to the lead immediately, taking the field through an opening half-mile in 46.27 seconds. His jockey, Garrett Gomez, said the speed-loving colt was rank and overly eager but still not as headstrong as he had been other races.

Leonides stalked the leader, with El Gato Malo three-to-four lengths back in fifth. At the top of the stretch, jockey Rafael Bejarano angled The Bad Cat to the outside, but they actually had to push their way through an opening to find sufficient room to launch a bid.

"When I found a position clear," Bejarano said, "he started running. He showed a big kick."

Leonides and Samba Rooster held on, but neither could resist El Gato Malo’s surge. Limestone Edge, coupled in the wagering with Samba Rooster, finished fourth.

With the victory, El Gato Malo earned $225,000 for his owners, West Point Thoroughbreds. Dollase said he has not made any plans for El Gato Malo’s next start.

And shortly after The Bad Cat pranced into the winner’s circle, Dollase must have realized that although Texas might be known for its oil and gas, he had found a gold mine at Lone Star. Two weeks ago, he sent Monterey Jazz here from California to win the Texas Mile.