Big Bane Theory’s ninth-place finish in the Grade I Hollywood Derby
was worse than it looked. Take it from Joe Talamo, who has ridden the
3-year-old son of grass champion Artie Schiller in each of his four
starts, winning two.
“I’m surprised he didn’t fall,” said the 22-year-old Talamo,
fresh from winning Santa Anita’s Autumn Meet riding title with 37
victories. “I was following a horse—I don’t even know what horse it
was—and he clipped heels in front of me and I almost ran right over him.
“My horse definitely didn’t have that good of a trip, especially
down the lane. The race before (an allowance win at 1 1/8 miles on the
grass) he ran an unbelievable race. We really thought a lot of him to
run him in the Hollywood Derby, but you can just toss that race out.”
The field for the Sir Beaufort: Fit to Rule, Edwin Maldonado;
Press Baron, Victor Espinoza; Smart Ellis, Julien Leparoux; Big Bane
Theory, Joe Talamo; Midnight Crooner, Martin Garcia; Conspiracy, Garrett
Gomez; Battle Force, Mike Smith; and Silentio, Rafael Bejarano.