Caldera is a feature of a volcano created after an eruption, and also a promising three-year-old colt trained by D. Wayne Lukas and sired by Liam’s Map. Another meaning of Caldera, as it relates specifically to the colt, is hope.

This hope grew in leaps and bounds when the lightly raced colt was second to the more-experienced Getaway Car in the Sunland Park Derby. It was Caldera’s first stakes attempt and also a step forward in the pursuit of seeing if he was a good candidate to embark on the Derby trail. That race result yielded multiple reasons to laud Caldera.

First, he was only a nose behind Getaway Car at the finish after running wide due to his outside post position. Second, he and Getaway Car were nine lengths ahead of the third-place finisher, indicating they were much the best in that race. Third, he and Getaway Car both earned the same Equibase Speed Figure of 99.

I invested in Caldera several months ago through MyRacehorse, eager to have a horse trained by Lukas and hear his insights into training and this colt as well, a chance I would not have if not for my investment. Lukas has said for some time that he thinks Caldera has the potential to be a good racehorse, and I was so proud of him for his finish in the Sunland Park Derby. He showed he is a serious racehorse and that opens up a lot of possibilities and it is exciting to think of what his future might hold.

While the Sunland Park Derby second place finish did not give him enough points to qualify for the Kentucky Derby, it achieved what it was meant to do. It showed us that Caldera can keep moving forward after he took a big step up.

For me, personally, after a lot of physical challenges that continue to get worse and make life and my mental state difficult, the Sunland Park Derby felt like a lifeline. I needed something to look forward to, and Caldera showing he could stand his ground well against a more experienced contender sent my hope soaring. While I invested because of Lukas, Caldera himself is becoming the best part of the offering too. It’s what one could always hope for a racehorse investment, that they show they are capable of moving forward to major achievements. 

Wherever he goes from here as he keeps trying to progress to better races, I am glad to be a small part of Caldera’s journey and get to cheer him on in his races. It should be a fun ride!