Baffert enters Muth, Mission Beach in Hopeful Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - In an effort to split up his plethora of talented 2-year-olds, trainer Bob Baffert has entered both Muth and Mission Beach in Monday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Hopeful Stakes, the closing-day feature at Saratoga.

The Hopeful, run at seven furlongs, drew a field of 11.

Muth, a son of Good Magic who brought $2 million at the OBS March 2-year-olds-in-training sale, won his debut at first asking by 8 3/4 lengths at Santa Anita. Sent off the 1-2 favorite in the Grade 3 Best Pal at Del Mar, Muth was part of the early pace before giving way to his Baffert-trained stablemate Prince of Monaco, who beat Muth by 4 1/4 lengths.

Baffert also sent in Mission Beach, a 1 1/4-length debut winner at Del Mar on Aug. 5.

Sending those horses here, leaves Baffert with Prince of Monaco and Heartland, a two-length debut winner at Del Mar on July 28, for the Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 10.

“I separated them from my other two horses,” said Baffert, who added that Muth, in the Best Pal, “got caught up in a speed duel and got beat by a good horse [Prince of Monaco],” Baffert said.

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Of Mission Beach, Baffert said “he’s a two-turn horse.”

Baffert has only started two horses in the Hopeful, finishing third with both Maimonides in 2007 and Too Much Bling in 2005.

The Hopeful field, with riders, from the rail out, is Just Steel (Joel Rosario), Yo Yo Candy (Angel Castillo), Nutella Fella (Junior Alvarado), Mission Beach (John Velazquez), Timberlake (Florent Geroux), Gold Sweep (Jose Ortiz), Muth (Flavien Prat), Baytown Chatterbox (Dylan Davis), Valentine Candy (Tyler Gaffalione), Be You (Irad Ortiz Jr.), and Pirate (Javier Castellano).

Monday’s card also includes the $150,000 Bernard Baruch at 1 1/16 miles on turf. Wit, the 2021 Hopeful runner-up is one of five entered. He joins Emaraaty, last year’s Bernard Baruch winner, Public Sector, Pioneering Spirit, and Bring Me a Check.

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