Barretts at Fairplex: Roundupthelute takes first step in C.B. Afflerbaugh win
POMONA, Calif. – Lightly raced Roundupthelute ran himself into Breeders’ Cup Juvenile consideration with a solid victory Wednesday evening in the $50,000 C.B. Afflerbaugh Stakes at the Los Angeles County Fair.
A 2-year-old colt sired by Midnight Lute, Roundupthelute ($4.80) and jockey Martin Garcia upset odds-on favorite Echo Zulu in the seven-furlong stakes, winning by two lengths in 1:24.97 for seven furlongs. Completing the order of finish after runner-up Echo Zulu was Brighton Star, Betting McCann Can and Mr Wild Kitty.
Bob Baffert trains Roundupthelute, whose only previous start produced a seventh-place finish. He broke slowly and raced greenly in that Aug. 28 race at Del Mar.
“I loved him first out; I couldn’t believe the way he ran,” Baffert said.
Wednesday at Barretts at Fairplex, it was a different story.
Roundupthelute broke well, tucked into third on the rail, was briefly stalled behind the pacesetter at the quarter pole, swung outside, and won going away.
“He looked like daddy that last 100 yards,” Baffert said, referring to the colt’s sire, two-time Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Midnight Lute.
Baffert, who watched the race from his hotel room in Kentucky where he is attending the yearling sales, has big plans for Roundupthelute.
“I’m trying to get him to the Breeders’ Cup,” Baffert said.
He could have entered the colt this coming Sunday in the $100,000 Barretts Juvenile, but wanted the extra time in order to run him back Sept. 28 in the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race at Santa Anita.
“Now he’s got two-turn experience,” Baffert said.
The seven-furlong Afflerbaugh was run around two turns on the five-furlong Barretts track.
Roundupthelute is owned by Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman. He was purchased for $230,000 at the Barretts March sale of 2-year-olds in training.
* The pick six was not hit Wednesday at Barretts. A carryover of $18,305 will be up for grabs on Thursday. First post 1 p.m.