Southern California shipper Dice Flavor, whose only four starts had been on grass for trainer Paddy Gallagher, burst away from the field past mid-stretch to easily win the $200,000 El Camino Real Derby (gr. III) in an upset at Golden Gate Fields Feb. 16.
The victory in Northern California's most important race for 3-year-olds completed quite a day for breeders Paget Bloodstock, Nearctic Bloodstock, and Carhue Investments. They also bred Dice Flavor's half brother, Swift Warrior, a son of First Samurai who captured the $150,000 Tampa Bay Stakes (gr. IIIT) in Florida on turf a few hours earlier. Both horses are out of the Afleet mare Afleet Summer.
Scat Daddy, who sired Dice Flavor, was also the sire of last year's El Camino Real Derby, Daddy Nose Best, trained by Steve Asmussen. Dice Flavor is the fourth consecutive shipper to win the El Camino Real, following Connemara in 2010, Silver Medallion in 2011, and Daddy Nose Best.
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