Bay Meadows Juvenile: Kalea Bay is Baffert's first Pleasanton runner since 1998

Kalea Bay looks somewhat out of place in Sunday’s $75,000 Bay Meadows Juvenile at the Golden State Racing meeting in Pleasanton, Calif.

The colt was a $700,000 yearling purchase, is trained by high-profile Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, and had a dynamic win by 8 1/4 lengths as the 3-10 favorite in a maiden race at Santa Anita in his third career start in September.

Kalea Bay also has a clunker on his race record, a last-place finish of five in the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes at seven furlongs at Del Mar on Nov. 17.

The 4-1 fourth choice in the Bob Hope, Kalea Bay was near the front and briefly led while racing wide on the backstretch. Kalea Bay fought through an opening half-mile in 43.93 seconds, but understandably could not keep pace. He was eased.

“Things just didn’t go his way,” Tom Ryan, the racing manager for co-owner SF Racing, wrote in a text message on Thursday, mentioning the wide trip and the rapid pace.”

Kalea Bay, who races for a partnership that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stable, will start from the outside post in a field of seven in the Bay Meadows Juvenile at 1 1/16 miles. He is Baffert’s first starter at Pleasanton since 1998.

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The Bay Meadows Juvenile will be Kalea Bay’s first race around two turns in his fifth start. Kalea Bay has worked quickly at Santa Anita in recent weeks and is highly likely to have a forward position in Sunday’s race.

“Hopefully he can break away from there and have a nice clean trip,” Ryan wrote. “Hopefully he can put himself back on track.”

Kalea Bay, who will be ridden by Assael Espinoza, is one of three Southern California shippers in the Bay Meadows Juvenile, along with Maximus and Accidental Genius.

Maximus, trained by Cesar DeAlba, finished fourth, beaten 18 1/2 lengths, in the Bob Hope after also racing near the front early. Accidental Genius is trained by Ed Freeman at the San Luis Rey Downs training center in San Diego County. Accidental Genius has won his last two starts, both in Northern California – a maiden race going a mile at Fresno and an allowance race at a mile and 70 yards at Pleasanton on Nov. 17.

The Bay Meadows Juvenile is the third start for the unbeaten colt Drop Um, who has not raced since a win in the Everett Nevin Stakes at six furlongs at Pleasanton in July.

The Bay Meadows Juvenile is the last stakes of the Golden State Racing meeting, which began in October and replaces dates previously run at Golden Gate Fields, which closed permanently in June.

The Bay Meadows Juvenile was scheduled for Saturday, but was part of a program postponed because of a forecast of inclement weather late Friday and early Saturday.

Sunday was scheduled to be closing day, but the final program will now be held on Wednesday.

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