Unrivaled Time prevails by a nose for second graded win in the Grade II Twilight Derby going 1 1/8 miles on turf on closing day at Santa Anita Sunday

UNRIVALED TIME PREVAILS BY A NOSE FOR SECOND GRADED WIN IN THE GRADE II TWILIGHT DERBY GOING 1 1/8 MILES ON TURF ON CLOSING DAY AT SANTA ANITA SUNDAY

ARCADIA, CA (Nov. 1, 2026)—In a thrilling finish that saw five horses battling to the wire, Unrivaled Time emerged as the winner under Hall of Fame jockey Joel Rosario in the Grade II, $200,000 Twilight Derby going 1 1/8 miles on turf.

Trained by Leonard Powell, Unrivaled Time (9-1) prevailed by a nose over Path To Power (4-1) ridden by Juan Hernandez. It was a neck back to Essos (13-1) in third, with Tribalism (30-1) finishing another half-length back to complete the superfecta. Proletariat, the heavy 2-5 favorite, finished just behind those rivals after racing up on a lively pace of 23.52, 46.26 and 1:10.43 for six furlongs.

Unrivaled Time was last of six with a quarter mile remaining. Rather than angling-out off the rail entering the stretch, Rosario opted to keep Unrivaled Time on the inside for the stretch drive. Near the eighth pole, Unrivaled Time ran up on heels, but he and Rosario weaved around horses for racing room and finished best of all.

“He broke really well and he likes to drop back all the way,” Rosario said. “It looked like down the backside they were going at a good speed and I just rode him the way he wanted to be ridden. I just let him settle after that, let him be and hopefully he came with a run at the end and he did. We caught up to the pace and he was able to come with a finish.

“I was inside a little (in the stretch) but I tried to work him out. I just took the chance inside there. Sometimes when you go out it can be a little tricky.”

Unrivaled Time won in a time of 1:47.27 on a course labeled as “good” to notch his second graded stakes win and third stakes tally overall. Previously in the GII Del Mar Derby, also at 1 1/8 miles, Unrivaled Time finished 2 ¼ lengths back of winner Proletariat in fourth. Unrivaled Time also finished behind winner Proletariat when a troubled eighth in the Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar.

“I was hoping that somebody would go with the favorite because on paper he was the lone speed, and somebody did,” Powell said. “The last few times, there wasn’t that much pace and they were much bigger fields, so we circled all the way around the field. If you look at his figures, he ran as good as the favorite, but we had to circle horses. This time, smaller field, better pace scenario for us. We didn’t get all the luck we needed because he had to check once or twice but the speed came back to us and he was able to show his great turn of foot.”

Bred in California, Unrivaled Time is by top Kentucky-based stallion Not This Time. He improved to 9: 4-0-1 with more than $323,000 in earnings for owner-breeder Alfred A. Pais and partner Innergy Racing Corp.

As a 2-year-old, Unrivaled Time won both the Grade III Cecil B. DeMille at Del Mar and Eddie Logan at Santa Anita, both at one mile on turf. Earlier this year, Unrivaled Time collected another stakes win when beating California-breds in the Snow Chief Stakes going 1 1/8 miles on turf.

With odds-on favorite Proletariat finishing out of the top three, the show prices ballooned. Unrivaled Time paid $20.00, $7.80 and $21.60. Path To Power, trained by Phil D’Amato, returned $5.60 and $10.00. Essos, with Umberto Rispoli aboard for trainer Mark Glatt, paid $24.40.

Live racing will resume to Santa Anita on Saturday December 26, for the start of the Classic Meet. Pre-sale tickets can be purchased for Opening Day by visiting santaanita.com/opening

GRADE II, TWILIGHT DERBY STAKES QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES

JOEL ROSARIO, UNRIVALED TIME, WINNER: He broke really well and he likes to drop back all the way. It looked like down the backside they were going at a good speed and I just rode him they way he wanted to be ridden. I just let him settle after that, let him be and hopefully he came with a run at the end and he did. We caught up to the pace and he was able to come with a finish. I was inside a little (in the stretch) but I tried to work him out. I just took the chance inside there. Sometimes when you go out it can be a little tricky.”

TRAINER QUOTES

LEONARD POWELL, UNRIVALED TIME, WINNER: “I was hoping that somebody would go with the favorite because on paper he was the lone speed, and somebody did. The last few times, there wasn’t that much pace and they were much bigger fields, so we circled all the way around the field. If you look at his figures, he ran as good as the favorite, but we had to circle horses. This time, smaller field, better pace scenario for us. We didn’t get all the luck we needed because he had to check once or twice but the speed came back to us and he was able to show his great turn of foot.”  

OWNER QUOTES

VAHE MELIKYAN, INNERGY RACING CORP, PART OWNER, UNRIVALED TIME, WINNER: “It’s my first Grade II. We love Unrivaled Time, amazing horse, the best 3-year-old in California, hands down on the turf. He was working great. Gave him time. Rosario did a great job. I have to thank everybody. Leo did a great job as well. “It’s amazing, having that kind of a horse, you just got to thank the horse, that is it.”  

NOTES: The winning owner is Innergy Racing Corp and breeder Alfred Pais.