Baltic Fire holds off Public Assembly in Osunitas Stakes
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DEL MAR, Calif. - The best trip for Baltic Fire is for her to race behind rivals in a stalking position.
On Saturday at Del Mar, jockey Kyle Frey was able to fulfill only one of those objectives. He had Baltic Fire racing outside in the clear in a stalking position on the backstretch of the $101,000 Osunitas Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on turf.
On the turn, Frey moved Baltic Fire into third en route to the 5-year-old mare’s first stakes win.
“I could see the leaders were pushing and Kyle was just sitting on her,” trainer Jeff Mullins said.
Baltic Fire ($16.20) took the lead in early stretch, led by a length with a furlong remaining, and held off a sharp rally from 9-2 Public Assembly to win by a neck.
Baltic Fire was timed in 1:34.01.
Public Assembly, ridden by Umberto Rispoli, closed from sixth in a field of seven to be closest to the front at the finish.
“She ran great,” trainer Phil D’Amato said. Rispoli “said she hesitated for a jump and that’s the jump she needed.”
May Day Ready, a two-time Grade 2 winner, finished third, beaten a length.
Raw Ability, Certitude, Resolve and Saqqara Sands completed the order of finish. Certitude, the 2-1 favorite, set an early pace of 22.74 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.29 for a half-mile before fading from contention in early stretch.
Saqqara Sands, a two-time stakes winner in Britain last year who was purchased for approximately $2.8 million last December, had her American debut in the Osunitas. Ridden by Antonio Fresu, Saqqara Sands was well placed for the first half-mile before fading.
Fresu “said she emptied on him at the quarter-pole,” trainer Simon Callaghan said.
Baltic Fire, who is by Flameaway, races for BAG Racing Stable and WSS Racing, has won 5 of 19 starts. She won consecutive starts for the first time in the Osunitas. At Santa Anita on June 5, Baltic Fire won an allowance race at a mile on turf in which she was eligible to be claimed for $80,000.
The Osunitas was restricted to fillies and mares who had not won a first-place purse worth $50,000 more to the winner, other than in statebred races, since Oct. 1.
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