Big League looks to stay perfect in Best Pal
DEL MAR, Calif. – The 2-year-old colt Big League, who starts in Saturday’s $200,000 Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar, is having a perfect summer.
“He’s never had a bad work or a bad morning,” trainer Peter Miller said. “He’s got a great mind. He’s a relaxed colt and very focused.”
Big League has a flawless race record, too. He was a convincing winner of a maiden special weight race at Del Mar on July 30 in his debut.
The Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs is a prep for the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 5, the top race on the closing day of the summer meeting. Miller is hopeful that Big League can leave Del Mar with an undefeated record.
The Best Pal Stakes drew a field of six, none of whom is a stakes winner. Klimt, a maiden-race winner at Santa Anita on July 10, will be favored.
The field includes the local maiden-race winners Secret House and Rinse and Repeat as well as Drafted, soundly beaten in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, and Thirstforlife, a maiden-race winner at Churchill Downs in June.
KEY CONTENDERS
Big League, by Speightstown
Last Beyer: 74
◗ Owned by Rockingham Ranch, Big League disputed the pace in his maiden win and drew off to win by 3 3/4 lengths. For the Best Pal, Big League has drawn the outside post, which will give jockey Nelson Arroyo Jr. options, Miller said.
“It’s a good post,” Miller said. “We can let everyone that wants to go go, and we can sit off the pace. If we can get an easy lead, we’ll take it.”
◗ Big League exceeded expectations in his maiden win.
“I expected him to win, but I don’t know if I expected him to win like that,” Miller said. “You can do what you want with him with tactics.”
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Big League. Trainer Peter Miller is 40-0-6-8 over the past five years with juveniles in graded stakes. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Klimt, by Quality Road
Last 2 Beyers: 66-75
◗ Klimt beat maidens in his second start at Santa Anita on July 10. Klimt raced off the pace for a quarter-mile before taking the lead in early stretch. He drew off to win by 5 1/4 lengths.
◗ Trainer Bob Baffert said Klimt has thrived since arriving at Del Mar last month. Rafael Bejarano has the mount Saturday and is likely to react to Big League’s tactics in the opening furlong, Baffert said.
“It’s a good spot,” Baffert said. “The speed is on the outside. Bejarano will know what to do.
“He’s getting better and better. The farther, the better. He’s not a sprinter.”
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Klimt. Trainer Bob Baffert is 9-1-2-1 with a $0.31 ROI over the past five years in dirt sprint graded stakes following a maiden win. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Thirstforlife, by Stay Thirsty
Last 2 Beyers: 69-66
◗ Thirstforlife was third after a poor start in the Kentucky Juvenile Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 5 in his debut and rebounded to score a convincing win in a maiden race at five furlongs June 4. Trainer Mark Casse said he would like to run Thirstforlife in the Del Mar Futurity next month.
“He’s a horse that will get better as he goes on,” Casse said. “Our hopes and plans are for the Best Pal and the Del Mar Futurity and hopefully for the Breeders’ Cup.”
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Thirstforlife. Trainer Mark Casse is 34-8-3-5 with a $3.93 ROI over the past five years with juveniles in graded stakes following a maiden win. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Rinse and Repeat. Trainer Doug O’Neill is 28-2-3-3 with a $0.44 ROI over the past five years in graded stakes following a maiden win. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Secret House. Trainer Doug O’Neill is 16-1-2-3 with a $0.67 ROI over the past five years when adding blinkers in graded stakes. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan