Baffert sends out two sharp 2-year-old winners

DEL MAR, Calif. – Trainer Bob Baffert’s already potent team of juvenile winners gained depth on Del Mar’s opening weekend with victories by the first-time starters Casalu and Getaway Car.

Getaway Car, ridden by Juan Hernandez, led throughout a five-furlong maiden race on Saturday, pulling clear to win by 3 1/4 lengths in 57.43 seconds. The time was the fastest of four races at the distance for 2-year-olds on Saturday and Sunday. Getaway Car earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 76.

“He’s quick,” Baffert said on Sunday. “He runs like he works. Sometimes they don’t run like they breeze.”

Getaway Car is a candidate for the two graded stakes for 2-year-olds at the Del Mar summer meeting – the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes at six furlongs on Aug. 11 and the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 8.

Baffert has won the Del Mar Futurity a stunning 17 times since 1996, including the last three runnings.

Getaway Car joins Midland Money as a promising early-season juvenile colt winner for Baffert. Midland Money won his debut by six lengths at Santa Anita on June 14.

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Casalu led throughout a maiden race for fillies on Sunday, winning by 5 1/2 lengths in 58.05 under Hernandez. Casalu could run in races such as the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes at six furlongs on Aug. 10 or the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 7. Baffert has won the Debutante a record 10 times.

Baffert has Nooni, a maiden race winner by 9 1/2 lengths at Santa Anita on June 13, as a another possibility for the Sorrento and Debutante. Nooni worked a half-mile in 47.40 at Del Mar on Sunday.

There were two maiden races for California-breds over the weekend. The first-time starter Cayucos, a filly ridden by Kyle Frey, won on Saturday by 2 3/4 lengths in 58.22 for trainer Richard Mandella.

On Sunday, Nyce Going fought off a sustained challenge from I’m a Bad Boy to win by a nose in 58.41 for trainer Doug O’Neill. Mario Gutierrez rode Nyce Going.

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