Endlessly Storms To Victory In El Camino Real Derby

Settled near the back of the field early, Amerman Racing LLC's homebred Endlessly unleashed a stirring outside stretch rally and overhauled front-runner Tapalo to win the $100,000 El Camino Real Derby Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.

With Umberto Rispoli aboard for trainer Michael McCarthy, Endlessy collared Tapalo in deep stretch and scooted clear to win by 1 1/4 lengths as the 7-10 favorite in the field of eight 3-year-olds. 

With the victory, Endlessly earned an automatic berth in the Preakness (G1), second jewel of the Triple Crown, May 18 at Pimlico Race Course, Golden Gate's sister track owned by 1/ST Racing.

Endlessly covered the 1 1/8 miles on the all-weather track in 1:50.68 and returned $3.40.

The Oscar Performance colt was settled in seventh as Come Out Fighting clocked the opening quarter mile in :23.05 closely attended by Wild Jewels, who took charge as the half went in :47.61. Tapalo stalked the leading pair from third then wrested the lead into the far turn. Nearing the quarter pole, Rispoli gave Endlessly his cue and the bay colt went three wide into the stretch, took aim on the front-runner, and breezed by late to tally.

Tapalo held on for second, 1 3/4 lengths in front of third-place finisher Guy Named Joe.

Endlessly, who was making his season bow, has won four of five career starts and earned $299,200. Last year, he annexed his first three starts, including a pair of Grade 3 turf stakes: the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Sept. 10 and Zuma Beach Oct. 8 at Santa Anita before finishing eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) Nov. 3 at the Arcadia, Calif. track. 

Bred in Kentucky, Endlessly was produced by the Langfuhr mare Dream Fuhrever.