Baltas has Ginobili ready for his career debut

CYPRESS, Calif. – Before the Southern California racing community parades south to Del Mar for the rest of the summer, there is an important race on Sunday’s closing day of the Los Alamitos meeting.

A maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds at 5 1/2 furlongs is likely to produce a few starters for stakes at Del Mar. Among the entrants is Ginobili, a first-time starter who will get better as the races get longer, said trainer Richard Baltas. He will be ridden by Flavien Prat, who has been aboard the colt in workouts.

“He’s ready,” trainer Richard Baltas said of Ginobili. “I have Flavien and he said he’s ready to run now.”

Ginobili, by Munnings, is owned by Slam Dunk Racing, Jerry McClanahan, Michael Nentwig, and Baltas. He was purchased for $35,000 as a yearling at Keeneland last September. Ginoboli worked five furlongs from the gate at Santa Anita on June 24, but did not impress Baltas. He opted to work the colt again from the gate there on July 1.

“I broke him out of the gate and he broke slow,” he said. “I gave him another break and he was better.

“I’m not overly confident. I think he’s a good horse. He’s big and strong. I don’t think he’s a sprinter. I think he’ll go farther. He’s worked like a good horse.”

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Ginobili is part of a field of six that includes We’re Still Here, a Union Rags colt who was beaten a nose at Santa Anita on June 23 as the 7-10 favorite in his debut; Silent Fury, a colt by Violence who has worked well for trainer Brian Koriner at Santa Anita; and Old Trafford, a first-time starter by Bayern trained by Simon Callaghan.

Koriner and Callaghan have strong records with first-time starters.

Baltas said there was no need to wait until Del Mar to start Ginobili.

“It will be tough everywhere,” he said.

Baltas figures to have a busy opening week at Del Mar. On Wednesday’s opening day, he plans to start Rijeka in the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf. Rijeka, who has been second or third in three stakes, raced in traffic in the stretch and finished seventh in the Singletary Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on April 28.

Later in the week, Baltas is considering starting Lemoona in Friday’s Osunitas Stakes for fillies and mares on turf, Colonial Creed and Lady Prancealot in Saturday’s Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on turf, and Marckie’s Water in the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf July 21.

Marckie’s Water won the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita on May 25. Later in the Del Mar meeting on Aug. 4, the two-time stakes winner Neptune’s Storm is expected to start for Baltas in the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Secret Spice, the winner of the Grade 1 Beholder Mile on March 30, is being considered for the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes for fillies and mares on July 28.

Last summer, Baltas finished in a tie for fourth in the trainers’ standings with 16 wins, comparable to the stable’s 20 wins in the summer of 2016 and 18 in 2017.