Declan’s Moon Rises Again

Declan’s Moon, once the early favorite for the 2005 Kentucky Derby and still unbeaten, is poised to make his first start in 16 months today in the first race at Hollywood Park.

The 4-year-old gelding won the Eclipse Award as the top 2-year-old in 2004 but underwent surgery to remove a bone chip in his left knee after winning the Santa Catalina Stakes in March 2005.

Setbacks since then have kept Declan’s Moon from racing, and trainer Ron Ellis, looking for the right spot to return, entered him in a 6 1/2 -furlong allowance race today, closing day of the spring-summer meet.

“He’s doing great,” Ellis said. “I don’t know that he’s geared up 100%, but he’s training well, doing well, and bigger and stronger than he was. We’re looking for a good effort.”

Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Declan’s Moon will face four rivals, including Yes He’s A Pistol and Areyoutalkintome.

If he runs well, the former Derby hopeful owned by Mace and Samantha Siegel’s Jay Em Ess Stable probably will be pointed to the $300,000 Pat O’Brien Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Del Mar on Aug. 20, the day of the Pacific Classic.

The dream of chasing the Triple Crown is long past.

“Originally it was very disappointing,” Ellis said. “I think he was the best horse of his generation. He had beaten Giacomo as a 2-year-old.”

Giacomo won the Kentucky Derby as a longshot.

“Then, once we got over that, we were very disappointed when the injury wasn’t healed,” Ellis said.

A share of the $55,000 purse won’t add much to the $627,300 career earnings of Declan’s Moon, but it could start him on his way again.

Long-term, Ellis doesn’t know what to expect. But Da Hoss won the Breeders’ Cup Mile in 1998 for the second time after racing only once in two years because of injuries.

“I’ve never had a horse this caliber, so I don’t know,” Ellis said. “But other horses of this caliber have come back and run well.”

*

Lost In The Fog, last year’s Eclipse Award-winning sprinter, finished ninth in a 13-horse field in the $500,000 Smile Sprint Handicap, a six-furlong Grade II stakes race in the Summit of Speed at Calder Race Course.

Nightmare Affair, a 14-1 shot ridden by Jeffrey Sanchez, won by two lengths in a time of 1:10.56.

Lost In The Fog has lost three of his last four races.

Dubai Escapade was another beaten favorite at Calder, finishing sixth in the $500,000 Princess Rooney Handicap, a six-furlong Grade I race for fillies.

Malibu Mint, a 23-1 shot who had never won a graded stakes race, won in 1:10.02.

One favorite at the Summit of Speed who won was Too Much Bling, taking the $300,000 Carry Back Stakes by two lengths.

Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Edgar Prado, Too Much Bling won the six-furlong Grade II race in 1:10.48.

*

In other races, Go Between, ridden by Garrett Gomez, won the $1-million Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va.... Adieu won the $500,000 Delaware Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at Delaware Park.... Me My Mine won the $150,000 Claiming Crown Jewel at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn.