Baffert running four maidens on Pacific Classic card
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Saturday is a day of 2-year-old maidens at Del Mar for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.
Baffert has four runners on the program – Babe’s Empire and Motga in a one-mile race, and Furiosity and Sea’s No Joke in a race for 2-year-old fillies at 5 1/2 furlongs.
Furiosity, an Into Mischief filly, may be Baffert’s leading chance for a win. She will start from post 6.
“Furiosity is extremely quick,” Baffert said earlier this week.
Baffert was quick to praise the chances of Sea’s No Joke, who has a wide draw start from post 9 in a field of 10.
“The other filly is a nice filly,” he said.
Furiosity and Sea’s No Joke, who is by Practical Joke, are two of eight first-time starters in the main body of the field of the sixth race. Chaseher and Girls Wear Pearls, were fourth and fifth in their last starts in late July, and will be outsiders on Saturday.
Furiosity, owned by CSLR Racing and Randall Hartley, was purchased for $450,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Maryland sale of 2-year-olds in-training in May. She worked five furlongs from the gate in 59.60 seconds on Aug. 13, one of the fastest times at the distance that morning.
Sea’s No Joke was bought for $310,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale of 2-year-olds in-training in March and is co-owned by the My Racehorse partnership and Spartan Equine Racing.
The sprint distance may not suit Dear Diary, according to trainer Richard Mandella. Dear Diary, by Into Mischief, is a full sister to Almostgone Rocket, six-length winner of the Jersey Girl Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga in June 2024.
“She wants to go further,” Mandella said of Dear Diary.
Motga, bought for $1.05 million at the Ocala March sale, is part of a field of seven in the fourth race, along with Psalm, a $1.25 million yearling purchase, and Take a Picture, who was third in his debut at Ellis Park on July 11.
Motga, by Mo Town, worked a half-mile in in 47.40 on Aug. 16.
“He’s a big horse,” Baffert said. “He’ll like going two turns.”
Babe’s Empire, purchased for $525,000 as a yearling at Keeneland last September, is by Curlin and is a half-brother to the five-time stakes winner Avie’s Flatter.
Psalm, by Into Mischief, was purchased at Keeneland last September, and is a full brother to Maximus Mischief, winner of the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct in 2018.
Maximus Mischief stands for $20,000 in Kentucky and was ranked 42nd in the nation in progeny earnings as of Thursday.
Psalm, trained by Michael McCarthy, drew the outside post on Saturday and is likely to run from off the pace.
“He’s been strong in his works,” McCarthy said. “He doesn’t have a whole lot of speed. He picks it up as he goes.”
Take a Picture was beaten two lengths in a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs on July 11, losing to Admiral’s Order. Take a Picture raced briefly in traffic in the stretch under jockey Abel Cedillo.
“He should have won,” trainer Peter Miller said. “Cedillo had him boxed in. I want a clean trip to see what he’s got.”
Take a Picture worked a half-mile in 49.20 at Del Mar on Monday.
“I think he wants the distance,” Miller said. “He trains like a horse that wants the distance.
“Experience always counts. He’s trained well on this track.”
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