Santa Anita

Baffert skips Awesome Again Stakes with Laurel River

Jay Privman|Sep 28, 2021

Laurel River at Santa Anita Park in May 2021

Emily Shields After Laurel River won his first race at two turns by 11 1/2 lengths on Sept. 6, Bob Baffert considered running him in Friday's Awesome Again Stakes. Instead, Baffert will take a more cautious approach with the 3-year-old.

Laurel River won an allowance race at Del Mar so impressively in his two-turn debut earlier this month that trainer Bob Baffert initially entertained thoughts of running in the Grade 1, $300,000 Awesome Again on Saturday at Santa Anita, but upon further review a more patient approach will be taken with the late-developing 3-year-old son of Into Mischief, Baffert said Tuesday.

Baffert said he would enter both Medina Spirit, the first-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, and recent Del Mar allowance winner Azul Coast in the Awesome Again, a 1 1/8-mile race expected to include, among others, Tripoli and Tizamagician, the one-two finishers from last month’s Pacific Classic at Del Mar.

The Awesome Again is a Win and You’re In for the Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

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