Baffert notches another first with CashCall Futurity and Starlet Stakes

CYPRESS, Calif. - There are still a few things trainer Bob Baffert has yet to accomplish.

On Saturday at Los Alamitos, Baffert became the first trainer to sweep the track’s two Grade 1 races for 2-year-olds in the same year: the Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity and the Starlet Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.

No trainer had won both races in the same year since the Starlet was first run at Hollywood Park in 1981. The races were moved to Los Alamitos in 2014 after Hollywood Park closed the previous year.

Baffert reached the milestone Saturday via disqualification. Solomini, who was second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Nov. 4, finished first in the Los Alamitos Futurity, but was disqualified and placed third for lugging to the inside in the stretch and interfering with stablemate McKinzie and Instilled Regard, who finished second and third in the 1 1/16-mile race.

Baffert trains McKinzie, who was the 1-2 favorite in the $300,000 Los Alamitos Futurity. A race later, Dream Tree remained unbeaten in three starts with an easy win in the $300,000 Starlet Stakes, also at 1 1/16 miles.

Baffert has won the Los Alamitos Futurity a record 10 times – on six occasions when the race was run at Hollywood Park and known as the Hollywood Futurity or CashCall Futurity, and four runnings at Los Alamitos since 2014.

Baffert, a Hall of Fame trainer, has won the Starlet four times.

“Our whole program is young horses,” he said after Dream Tree’s win. “We’re fortunate to keep things going with the young horses.”

Baffert had a mixed reaction after Solomini was disqualified and McKinzie was promoted, and Dream Tree’s comprehensive win.

“It was a bizarre 30 minutes,” he said.

Stewards Scott Chaney, Ron Church, and Tom Ward deliberated for eight minutes before ruling 2-1 to demote Solomini. While the inquiry was underway, McKinzie was taken back to the test barn and was not present for the winner’s circle photo when the order of finish was changed.

“You look up and the horse is not around,” Baffert said. “I wish he could have been there.”

McKinzie is named for the late Brad McKinzie, an executive at Los Alamitos who was close friends with Baffert and owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman.

By Street Sense, McKinzie won a seven-furlong maiden race by 5 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita in his debut Oct. 28 and had his second start Saturday. Ridden by Mike Smith, McKinzie raced wide throughout. He was bumped by a rival on the first turn and quickly moved closer to the leaders.

“I think when that horse hit him in the first turn that got him,” Baffert said. “I think we learned a lot. He doesn’t want to be that close.”

McKinzie led in the stretch while racing on the inside of Instilled Regard and Solomini, but could not maintain the advantage and was beaten three-quarters of a length.

“He got a lot out of it,” Baffert said.

Solomini ends his 2-year-old season without a major win. Aside from the BC Juvenile loss, he was second to Bolt d’Oro in the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 30.

Solomini, who was ridden by Flavien Prat for Zayat Stables, closed from last in the field of five to reach the front in the final furlong. Baffert suggested after the race that Solomini will be more effective from off the pace as a 3-year-old.

“We got him back,” Baffert said. “That was the key. There was speed in there.

“He always runs a courageous race.”

Through the final furlong, Baffert feared the worst when Solomini bumped Instilled Regard.

“I knew when I saw him hit that horse there was a problem,” Baffert said. “It was going to be an inquiry.”

Instilled Regard, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, had his stakes debut in the Los Alamitos Futurity. Instilled Regard finished a head behind McKinzie, but was 29 1/2 lengths clear of fourth-place finisher For Him in the field of five.

McKinzie and Solomini are not likely to start again until late winter, typical of a Baffert pattern for top-rated 3-year-olds who could start in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 5. Stakes at Santa Anita and Oaklawn Park are certain to be considered.

“The goal is to get them to the first Saturday of May,” Baffert said. “We’ll split them up.”

Dream Tree is unbeaten in three starts for the Phoenix Thoroughbreds partnership, which won its first Grade 1in the Starlet. Phoenix Thoroughbreds purchased Dream Tree for $750,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale of 2-year-olds in-training in March.

By Uncle Mo, Dream Tree won a six-furlong maiden race by a nose at Santa Anita on Oct. 27 and the Desi Arnaz Stakes at seven furlongs by a nose at Del Mar on Nov. 18. In the Starlet, Dream Tree stalked pacesetter Yesterday’s News to the top of the stretch before winning by 3 1/4 lengths.

“The filly is really getting good,” Baffert said.

Phoenix Thoroughbreds announced in a message on Twitter on Saturday afternoon that the ownership group would donate “a huge percentage” of the winner’s share of $180,000 to charities related to the wildfire that struck the San Luis Rey Downs training center Thursday.