Silver Medallion ran down Jakesam in deep stretch to win the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields. Heavy favorite Comma to the Top finished fourth.
Jakesam got everything his own way on the front end, setting fractions of 23.84, 48.09 and 1:12.35. Comma to the Top tried to make his way to the front on the far turn but came up empty when it was time to get serious and finished out of the top three.. Like the Lewis Stakes an little more than an hour earlier, the field did not come home particularly fast.
As I wrote regarding the Lewis Stakes, it's tough to draw firm conclusions this early in the three-year-old season but, right now. it looks like the East Coast horses are a bit better than their West Coast counterparts.
All three Derby preps on Saturday featured an odds-on favorite - Brethren, Comma to the Top and Tapizar - but only one found his way to the winner's circle.
Silver Medallion paid $15.00, $4.80 and $12.00.