Wonderboy Defeated In Santa Anita

Kentucky Derby favourite Stevie Wonderboy suffered a surprise defeat by Brother Derek in the San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Doug O´Neill´s three-year-old, a winner of the Grade One Bessemer Trust Breeders´ Cup Juvenile on his penultimate start, stayed on strongly but could not collar the winner, who made almost every inch to score by one and a half lengths.

Brother Derek´s trainer Dan Hendricks was understandably delighted with the outcome of the 150,000 contest.

Hendricks said: 'He´s a solid, good-minded, talented three-year-old and we´re all just overjoyed to be along for the ride.

'The fractions were a little soft and I thought Stevie (Wonderboy) was a little closer than I wanted him to be but it worked out.

'Alex (Solis) had a lot of horse. He knows the horse and he rode him perfect.'

O´Neill was not too dispirited by Stevie Wonderboy´s defeat and insists the best has yet to come from his colt this season.

'He ran huge,' O´Neill told www.thebloodhorse.com. 'Anytime you get Brother Derek out there on the front end going 23 and change, you know you´ve got trouble.

'One of our concerns was that he´d get an easy lead and when he does he´s a tough horse.

'My horse ran a good race - you don´t want to peak too early in the year.'

? PA Sport