El Camino Real Derby

El Camino Real Derby Race Facts

• Location: Golden Gate Fields, Berkeley, CA
• Inaugural Race: 1982
• Current Distance: 1 1/8 miles
• Track Type: Left-Handed Dirt (Synthetic)
• Age Qualifications: Three-year-olds
• 2023 Purse: $100,000
• 2023 Race Date: Saturday, February 11^th

The El Camino Real Derby is the only Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying points race at Golden Gate Fields in California. The race offers a chance for synthetic all-weather-surface runners a chance to obtain points from the spread of 10-4-3-2-1.

2023 El Camino Real Derby Race Results

Exotic Payoffs:

• $1 Exacta (2-1) Paid: $15.50
• $0.50 Trifecta (2-1-5) Paid: $42.00
• $0.10 Superfecta (2-1-5-4) Paid: $18.47

Watch the 2023 El Camino Real Derby

The History of the El Camino Real Derby

The El Camino Real Derby is a 1 1/8 mile race for 3-year-olds held at Golden Gate Fields in Northern California. The $100,000 race in mid-February has been held at Golden Gate since 2009, and is part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby with a 10-4-3-2-1 points system awarded to the top five finishers. The race is one of the marquee staples of the Golden Gate Fields winter meet.

The race has been dominated by late runners that rally from off the pace. In fact, since 2009, not a single front-runner or speed horse has won the race. In addition, the race has not been kind to horses with good form on dirt racetracks. Previous success on turf, particularly at Santa Anita and/or Del Mar, has been a much better indicator of horses with a chance to thrive at Golden Gate Fields.

In the 2017 edition, Zakaroff scored one of the biggest upsets in the 36-year history of the race, coming from off the pace to score a one-half-length victory as a 48-1 long shot.

The jockey with the most wins is Russell Blaze, who scored victories in 1984, 1998, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2014. Six of his wins were under the guidance of trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who holds the record in his own right.

From 1982 to 2007, the race was contested at 1 /16th miles before being increased to its current distance of 1 1/8th miles. Ruhlmann was clocked with the fastest time in 1988 at the original distance, running 1:39.40. No other horse to date was able to break the 1:40.00 ceiling at that distance. At its current length, 2015 winner Metaboss holds the speed record with a time of 1:49.92.

Tank’s Prospect would win the race, and then go on to score in the Arkansas Derby and the Preakness Stakes in 1985. Incidentally, Snow Chief would do the same the following year but instead won the race on route to scoring in the Florida Derby, Santa Anita Derby and the Preakness Stakes in the 1986 campaign.

Tabasco Cat is considered the most successful winner to come out of the race, having won the 1994 renewal prior to winning the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes that same season. He may have also won the Kentucky Derby if not for a bad bump during the race.

These pathways are notable because there is a special $5,500,000 bonus awarded to those that win the El Camino Real Derby, Santa Anita Derby and the Preakness Stakes. An alternate $550,000 bonus is available for those that compete in the El Camino Derby, finish top-three in the Florida Derby or Santa Anita Derby and win the Preakness Stakes.

El Camino Real Derby Past Winners