Practical Joke Colt Wins G1 Santa Anita Derby

Practical Joke’s Practical Move (3c Practical Joke x Ack Naughty, by Afleet Alex) became his sire’s newest Grade I winner on Saturday with a victory in the Grade I Santa Anita Derby to guarantee himself a spot in the Grade I Kentucky Derby.

The 1 1/8 mile race saw Practical Move race in midpack with a few lengths between the winner and the pacesetter. That changed half way down the backstretch when Practical Move slid up the rail to pour the pressure on the pacesetter.

Practical Move had the lead as the field raced into the stretch and looked to be a clear inner until the final sixteenth when he had to show his determination. Confronted by two other horses, Practical Joke showed he can withstand the pressure with a nose victory.

“I made the move a little early because I saw (Hector) Berrios look at me from the inside. I knew he wanted to put me inside a little bit tight, so I just moved my horse to the outside take a new position, made him relax a little bit and when I asked him the last quarter he responded really well. The other horse (Mandarin Hero) is a nice horse too and ran really well. I’m feeling amazing. When you ride a good horse like that, that’s your dream always to go to the Kentucky Derby,” said jockey Ramon Vazquez.

The winner of four of his seven races with three other top three finished, Practical Move is trained by Tim Yakteen for Leslie and Pierre Jean Amestoy and Roger Beasley.

A $230,000 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds purchase by his racing owners from Eisaman Equine, Practical Move was bred by Chad Brown and Head of Plains Partners.

The 3-year-old is out of multiple stakes placed Ac Naughty, a half-sister to the stakes winning duo of No Spin and So Lonesome with the extended family also including champion Vino Rosso.

Practical Joke is the sire of 20 stakes winners and 37 stakes performers from his first two crops with the group including six worldwide Grade I winners, including last year’s Grade I Frizette winner Chocolate Gelato.