Every so often you watch a horse race and for some reason he becomes “your horse.” That’s the case with Henley’s Joy (6-1) since he debuted at 2 at Ellis Park last summer. Always liked his tactical turn of foot.
But he’s not the luckiest horse we’ve seen. He generally manages good position then events begin to conspire around him; a steady here, in-close there, altered courses everywhere.
Don’t take it from me, check out his last two starts in the G2 Twilight Derby and G2 Hill Prince and you’ll see what I mean. He’s up against it a little bit again today with his outside draw and he’ll need to get the best of the flow. It will be up to new rider Drayden Van Dyke to figure that out.
The competition is tough, as you might expect anytime the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby is renewed, even at old Del Mar. But he’s won a Grade 1, the Belmont Derby, and if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere, right?
There are two Chads in here, a Johnny, a Javier, and a Paco for “now” connections; trainer Peter Miller and jockey Paco Lopez, with a sharp, improving animal pole sitting with speed, Mo Forza (5-1). Indeed, the ML favorite is 9-2 in this open scramble.
Taking Henley’s Joy to win at 5-1 or greater and key-boxing trifectas with Mo Forzo and the two Chads; Digital Age and Standard Deviation, each listed at 6-1 on the early line.
YESTERDAY: Results pending
