9-1 shot Dice Flavor rallied powerfully from off-the-pace to win the $200,000 El Camino Real Derby (gr. III) at Golden Gate Fields in decisive fashion.
With Jose Valdivia Jr. aboard, Dice Flavor settled back into the eighth position early on as the favorite Manando sprinted clear of the field while setting fractions of :23.10, :47.34, and 1:11.67 seconds. Wildcat Moon and Counting Days were racing in second and third, with Carving some eight lengths behind Manando in fourth place. Zeewat, Rush In, Nina's Dragon, Dice Flavor, and North Pacific trailed the field.
Turning for home, the field caught up with Manando, who quickly retreated to a last-place finish. Wildcat Moon and Counting Days were the first to take command, but they were soon passed by Dice Flavor, who overcame a bit of traffic at the top of the stretch and rallied to the front. He drew off powerfully from there, eventually hitting the wire 3 3/4 lengths in front while stopping the clock for nine furlongs in 1:51.45 seconds.
Nina's Dragon finished up well to edge Counting Days for second, while Carving rounded out the superfecta. Zeewat, Wildcat Moon, North Pacific, Rush In, and Manando completed the order of finish.
The winner is trained by Patrick Gallagher and owned by Oda Racing Stable and US Equine. A son of Scat Daddy out of the Afleet mare Afleet Summer, Dice Flavor has now compiled a record of 2-0-2 from 5 starts, with earnings of $160,500.
-Keelerman
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