Bayakoa kicks off stakes action with strong field

DEL MAR, Calif. – Breeders’ Cup overtones filter into the Grade 3 Bayakoa Stakes, a dirt mile for fillies and mares that is the first stakes on Breeders’ Cup Saturday at Del Mar.

Bayakoa entrants Alpha Bella, Hope Road, and Show Card were considered for BC races. Maybe next year. Desert Dawn, who finished sixth in the 2021 BC Juvenile Fillies and fifth in the 2023 BC Distaff, will try to end her million-dollar career with a Bayakoa upset.

Seven entered the $200,000 Bayakoa, race 2, being run at Del Mar for the first time since 2016, when the Bob Baffert-trained Vale Dori won. The race was subsequently run at Los Alamitos. Back at Del Mar this year, Baffert entered the pair of Hope Road and Show Card.

“Hope Road, I was debating the Filly and Mare Sprint,” Baffert said, which would require her cutting back to one turn after a 97 Beyer Speed Figure in a Grade 3 route romp. Baffert will keep her long for the Bayakoa; he entered Pleasant in the Filly and Mare Sprint. Hope Road will go short next time.

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“From here, I’m going to freshen her up for the La Brea,” Baffert said.

The seven-furlong Grade 1 La Brea for 3-year-old fillies is Dec. 26, opening day at Santa Anita. Hope Road is the 6-5 program favorite on Saturday under Juan Hernandez.

Baffert also entered Show Card, back-to-back stakes winner at Del Mar and Los Alamitos. “With all those scratches in the Distaff, I should have [entered Show Card],” Baffert said.

It was a joke. Show Card is not fast enough for the Distaff. She might not be fast enough for the Bayakoa – her recent Beyers were 81 and 82.

Show Card will rally from behind in a race likely to unfold at a solid pace. Flavien Prat rides Show Card, whose owner-breeder Juddmonte Farms had the early BC Distaff favorite until Idiomatic was injured and retired last week.

Alpha Bella finished second by 1 1/2 lengths to BC Distaff entrant Sugar Fish in the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes last out, although Alpha Bella may have been best that day. It was the first start for Alpha Bella since she was moved to trainer John Sadler.

“I think without the bad stumble at the start, she’s going to be right there,” Sadler said.

He’s not wrong, as Alpha Bella stumbled badly, zoomed to the lead, and tired late. She has trained well since, and also trained well this summer at Del Mar.

Alpha Bella will campaign in California next year, but the Bayakoa is probably the final start for Desert Dawn, a 5-year-old Arizona-bred who earned more than $1 million for owner-breeder H and E Ranch and trainer Phil D’Amato.

Desert Dawn “means a lot to me,” D’Amato said. “She took me to the Kentucky Oaks, where she ran a really good race [third at 50-1 in 2022] and kind of danced every dance in the filly-mare dirt division for the last couple years. Just a really cool horse.”

Umberto Rispoli rides Desert Dawn.

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