Ag Bullet leads all the way in Osunitas for third stakes victory of year

DEL MAR, Calif. - Benefiting from an uncontested lead, Ag Bullet led throughout Sunday’s $101,500 Osunitas Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on turf at Del Mar, recording her third stakes win of the year.

The complexion of the race changed significantly earlier in the day when Richi, the 2-1 morning-line favorite, was withdrawn. Without Richi in the field, Ag Bullet no longer had a rival who could keep pace with her early.

Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Ag Bullet led by at least a length throughout and won by 3 1/2 lengths. Sent off favored, Ag Bullet set modest fractions of 23.69 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.80 for a half-mile. She led by 1 1/2 lengths on the turn, and pulled clear in the stretch.

“Natural speed, if she can carry it, is very dangerous,” winning trainer Richard Baltas said. “I was glad she kicked home.”

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Ag Bullet ($4.80) was timed in 1:34.73 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 88, which equals her career-best.

“She made the lead easily and he got her to relax,” Baltas said of Rispoli’s tactics. “I think she’s good going six furlongs to a mile. A mile worked out today. I thought she could get it.

“I think she’s relaxing more.”

Hang the Moon (5-2) closed from fourth to finish second, 1 1/2 lengths in front of 31-1 Ascendancy, a stakes winner at Pleasanton last month.

Sun Of Hill finished fourth, followed by Lunar Impact, Justique, Miss Lizzy, and Real Fire.

Richi was listed as a stakes scratch. Stakes runners are allowed to be withdrawn without reason at least an hour before such races in California. Trainer Bob Baffert did not return a text message on Sunday asking for comment on Richi’s scratch.

Ag Bullet, a 4-year-old filly by Twirling Candy, has won 5 of 8 starts and earned $297,200 for owners Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran.

Earlier this year, Ag Bullet won the restricted Wishing Well Stakes and the Grade 3 Monrovia Stakes, both run at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita.

Ag Bullet was ninth of 10 in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs on May 4 in her last start before the Osunitas.

“I think she was in good form in Kentucky,” Baltas said. “It was raining, she broke a step slow and it was better company.”

The Osunitas was restricted to fillies and mares who had not won a stakes worth $50,000 or more to the winner at a mile or more, other than statebred stakes, since Oct. 1.

While the Osunitas represented a drop in class from Ag Bullet’s race in Kentucky, Baltas will contemplate testing Ag Bullet later this summer. Leaving the winner’s circle, he mentioned the Grade 2 Ladies Turf Sprint, a $1 million race at 6 1/2 furlongs at Kentucky Downs on Aug. 31, as a possible start for Ag Bullet.

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