Baffert starts two regally bred colts

Hall of Famer Bob Baffert led all trainers at Del Mar’s summer meeting with 16 wins through Wednesday. The stable’s 2-year-old division has accounted for half of those wins, with a chance for more success with two impeccably bred colts in Saturday’s first race at a mile.

Plutarch and Provenance are by Into Mischief and are out of the champions Stellar Wind and Monomoy Girl. Plutarch races for the Coolmore syndicate, while Provenance is owned by Spendthrift Farm. The colts are part of a field of seven in Saturday’s first race, the first maiden race at two turns on dirt this summer at Del Mar.

“I’d rather run them a little shorter,” Baffert said. “I’m trying to get races into them. Going a mile first out is asking a lot. We’ll see what they do.”

Both Plutarch and Provenance have worked quickly in recent weeks, which is typical of a Baffert-trained runner. Leading rider Juan Hernandez has the mount on Provenance, while Drayden Van Dyke is booked on Plutarch.

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Stellar Wind, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2015, won six Grade 1 stakes racing from 2014 to 2018. Bought for $6 million at the 2017 Keeneland November sale by Coolmore, Stellar Wind has had three foals race, including 2024 maiden winner Magnify. Trained by Tim Yakteen, Magnify has yet to start this year but has been working steadily at Del Mar in the last six weeks.

Provenance is the first foal to race out of Monomoy Girl, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2018 and older dirt female of 2020. She was bought for an astonishing $9.5 million by Spendthrift at the 2020 Keeneland fall sale.

Of the other five runners in Saturday’s maiden race, four have started. Among these was Intrepido, who was fourth behind the Baffert-trained Brant in a quickly run maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs on July 26 in his debut. Another Baffert runner, Balboa, finished third in that race and returned to win a maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 10.

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