Baffert's Arnaz, Hope winners moving on to Starlet, Futurity

DEL MAR, Calif. – Bob Baffert had 40 percent of the field for the Desi Arnaz on Saturday and 75 percent of the field for the Bob Hope on Sunday and came away with 100 percent of the victories in those Del Mar stakes last weekend, both designed as preps to important graded stakes next month at Los Alamitos.

Messier, who won the Bob Hope, will be aimed to the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 11. Eda, who won the Desi Arnaz, will go to the Grade 1 Starlet on Dec. 4. Both horses will be trying two turns for the first time in those 1 1/16-mile races.

Baffert has won the Los Alamitos Futurity the past seven years, and 13 times overall. He has won the Starlet the last four years, and seven times overall.

Baffert has now won the Bob Hope five times. He has a record-setting 146 stakes wins at Del Mar.

Messier and Eda were two of the six winners Baffert has sent out from 21 starters to lead the trainers’ standings after the first two weeks of the meet. Doug O’Neill and Phil D’Amato are second with five wins each.

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Both Messier and Eda were ridden by Flavien Prat, who has won with 11 of his 54 mounts – including four stakes – to lead the jockeys’ standings after eight days. Juan Hernandez, who had hat tricks both Saturday and Sunday, and Umberto Rispoli are tied for second with eight wins.