House owners William and Suzanne Warren and coach Michael McCarthy should have a way of déjà vu with Formidable Man .
The three collaborated on his sire, Metropolis of Gentle , in profitable the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Filth Mile (G1) and 2019 Pegasus World Cup (G1), and now Formidable Man has change into a graded stakes winner for them after taking the Sept. 1 Del Mar Derby (G2T).
Formidable Man, winner of Del Mar’s opening-day Oceanside Stakes at a mile, confronted 5 rivals, together with Keep Sizzling , who captured the 1 1/16-mile La Jolla Handicap Aug. 4 on the observe. Bettors favored Formidable Man within the 1 1/8-mile Derby at 6-5, with Keep Sizzling the 9-5 second-choice.
Sketchy took the early lead, with fractions of :25.01 and :50.19, and the race developed into three units of pairs. Sketchy and Gold Foot led, with Atitlan and Formidable Man within the center, and Man Named Joe and Keep Sizzling on the again.
Jockey Umberto Rispoli positioned Formidable Man outdoors of Atitlan, simply ready for the proper second to ask his colt.Join BloodHorse Day by day
“I believed I used to be in a great spot, and in some unspecified time in the future I needed to make my transfer,” Rispoli mentioned. “I used to be clearly ready for Keep Sizzling to come back working. Keep Sizzling was my essential concern.”
Rispoli and Formidable Man had been in a position to get the bounce on Keep Sizzling, racing three vast into the stretch and grabbing the lead approaching the sixteenth pole. Keep Sizzling closed effectively from outdoors, however Formidable Man held him off to attain by a half-length in 1:49.87 on agency turf. Atitlan completed 1 1/4 lengths again in third, adopted by Gold Foot, Sketchy, and Man Named Joe.
Rispoli now has three wins and a second in 5 races aboard Formidable Man.
“He is bettering race by race,” the jockey mentioned.
McCarthy and Rispoli collaborated earlier on the Del Mar card with first-time starter Bullard . The two-year-old son of Gun Runner captured a six-furlong maiden race by 1 1/4 lengths.
Formidable Man gained in his racing debut on the Del Mar turf final September. The colt has gained all three off his begins on the course. In 9 begins, Formidable Man has 4 wins and two seconds—a type of seconds within the Could 4 American Turf Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs.
“We in all probability rushed him a little bit bit after he broke his maiden right here,” McCarthy mentioned. “We backed off of him, and issues have simply come alongside for him. With every race, he has simply appeared to get a little bit bit higher.”
McCarthy bought Formidable Man for the Warrens on the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale for $375,000 from Taylor Made Gross sales Company. City & Nation Horse Farms bred Formidable Man in Kentucky from the Silent Title mare Fanticola. The mare did all of her working in Southern California, profitable two stakes at Santa Anita Park, together with the 2015 Royal Heroine Stakes (G2T) on the turf. She broke her maiden at Del Mar on the turf.
Formidable Man, champion Fierceness , and Chop Chop are 2024 graded stakes winners sired by Metropolis of Gentle. An earner of $5,662,200 on the racetrack, Metropolis of Gentle stood for a 2024 stud price of $35,000 at Lane’s Finish close to Versailles, Ky.
Video: Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby (G2T)