Collected may run on the turf in Del Mar summer meet

ARCADIA, Calif. - Collected will be considered for turf races at Del Mar this summer despite romping to three consecutive stakes wins on dirt at Santa Anita this year, the most recent of which was a 14-length score in Saturday’s Grade 3 Precisionist Stakes.

Collected is trained by Bob Baffert, who has a deep team of main-track handicap horses. The group is led by Arrogate, the winner of the $12 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park and the $10 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates earlier this year.

Baffert has won graded stakes around two turns on dirt in recent months with the older runners Cupid, Danzing Candy, Mor Spirit.

“They’re hitting on all cylinders,” Baffert said. “It’s fun to have those nice horses.”

Collected won the sixth stakes of his career in the $100,000 Precisionist at 1 1/16 miles.

Collected had two starts on turf at 2 in 2015, winning a maiden race on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in his debut and finishing second in the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes at a mile on turf in November of that year.

Baffert said Collected will work on turf in July after the stable relocates in the middle of next month.

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“I want to get him to Del Mar and breeze him on the turf,” Baffert said. “He could be a double weapon, turf or dirt.”

Owned by Peter Fluor’s Speedway Stable, Collected would be a logical contender for the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on dirt July 22, if Arrogate were not scheduled to start in that $200,000 race.

As an alternative, Collected could be considered for the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf July 22, or the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on turf Aug. 20.

In the long-term, Baffert considers Collected a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on the main track at Del Mar on Nov. 3. Collected has won 7 of 10 starts and earned $660,500.