War Front’s Seal Team Proves Narrowly Best in Twilight Derby

[Wandering Eyes]

Making his graded-stakes debut as a 7-1 gamble in Saturday's GII Twilight Derby, SEAL TEAM (GB) (c, 3, War Front–Mrs McDougal, by Medaglia d'Oro) sliced his way through traffic in upper stretch and charged home full of run to take the nine-furlong test in a bunched finish. Away alertly–almost too alertly–for Umberto Rispoli, the homebred raced a touch keen through the early exchanged, but eventually coalesced and was taken back to sit a midfield and ground-saving trip into the turn and backstretch. Between rivals into the final half-mile, he responded when set down leaving the quarter pole, and he aggressively took a gap between Godolphin's Silver Knott (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), racing as a first-time gelding, and the tiring Mondgeo (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and sprinted home to score a narrow decision over Silver Knott. Favored Webslinger (Constitution) lingered at the back of the pack early on and Javier Castellano was left with no choice but to circle rivals perhaps as many as eight wide on the swing for home. Despite the significant ground loss, he flashed home gamely to just miss. O-Ramona & Perry Bass; B-Bass Stables LLC; T-Richard Mandella.

 

No joy for Silver Knott and William Buick as Seal Team wins the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita!

It's Breeders' Cup time next… pic.twitter.com/1gD3myMLj2

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 4, 2023

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