Columnist Ralph Siraco: Declan’s Moon announces presence with authority

Ralph Siraco

Monday, March 7, 2005 | 9:27 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Sunday.

It wasn't until Saturday that the No. 1 contender for this year's Kentucky Derby finally took to the track, but it was worth the wait.

Declan's Moon, last year's Juvenile champion, made his long-awaited but calculated sophomore racing debut in the Grade II Santa Catalina Stakes at Santa Anita. With regular rider Victor Espinoza aboard, Declan's Moon raced three wide while stalking San Rafael Stakes winner Spanish Chestnut and Sham Stakes winner Going Wild. Rounding the final turn of the 1 1/16-mile race, Espinoza asked the question and Declan's Moon quickly disposed of his rivals to win by three open lengths. Going Wild was second and Spanish Chestnut was third.

It had been just over 76 days since Declan's Moon clinched the Eclipse Award for best Juvenile with a decisive victory in the Grade I Hollywood Futurity on Dec. 18. That race, his fourth victory in as many lifetime starts, came with Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Wilko in the field. Wilko hasn't started since then and his 3-year-old debut is scheduled for the March 19 San Felipe Stakes, also at Santa Anita.

A late-blooming starter, Declan's Moon, a gelded son of Malibu Moon has now caught the fast track to Louisville for America's most famous horse race, which is fewer than nine weeks away.

The Ron Ellis trainee went from a debut maiden victory on July 31, 2004, at Del Mar to his mid-December title win at Hollywood Park while accounting for the Grade II Del Mar Futurity and Grade III Hollywood Prevue Stakes over the span of four and a half months. So, another Kentucky Derby prep, scheduled to be the $750,000 Grade I Santa Anita Derby on April 9, should set him up for the run for the roses.

Sporting front bandages for the first time, Afleet Alex charged from behind to take the $50,000 Mountain Valley Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Saturday. The 6-furlong tightener has him on target for a showdown with Rockport Harbor in the April 16 Arkansas Derby, if he stays the Hot Springs route.

The "new kid on the block" for this week goes to Swale Stakes winner Lost In The Fog. A speedy son of Lost Soldier, he backed up his eye-popping late January Sunshine Millions Dash victory with an equally impressive score at the Swale 7-furlong distance, prompting his connections to declare they will pay the late nomination fee of $6,000 to make Lost In The Fog eligible for the Triple Crown and its first leg, the Kentucky Derby.