Defunded shrugs off bad start, goes last to first in Californian
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A messy start could not keep Defunded from a third career stakes win in Saturday’s Grade 2 Californian Stakes at Santa Anita.
Defunded typically sets the pace or races near the front, but won with the opposite style in the $200,500 Californian Stakes for older horses at 1 1/8 miles.
Defunded broke in the air and was last in a field of six for the first six furlongs of the Californian. Ridden by leading rider Juan Hernandez, Defunded rallied wide on the turn to reach contention as the field approached the stretch. Continuing with a three-wide move, Defunded took the lead before the eighth pole and finished three lengths in front of Royal Ship, the 9-2 second choice.
Defunded ($2.40) was timed in 1:48.91 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 102.
“He’s always had a little issue in the gate,” trainer Bob Baffert said in the winner’s circle. “Today, he was standing perfect and right when they kicked it, he stepped back.”
Defunded trailed by as many as five lengths on the backstretch. Baffert spoke briefly with Hernandez when Defunded returned to the winner’s circle and praised the jockey for not rushing his mount.
Hernandez "said he was never rank and that he was going to be patient with him,” Baffert said.
The win gave Hernandez a sweep of the two graded stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday. He rode Brickyard Ride to victory in the Grade 3 Kona Gold Stakes for sprinters earlier on the program. Hernandez won three races on the 10-race program.
Midnight Mammoth (15-1) finished third after setting an early pace of 23.22 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.35 for a half-mile. Kiss Today Goodbye finished fourth, followed by Parnelli and Mr. Impossible.
Defunded, a 5-year-old gelding by Dialed In who races for the partnership of Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, has won 6 of 16 starts and earned $1,348,100.
Defunded won consecutive stakes at 1 1/8 miles last fall in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita and the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar, but was beaten in his first two starts this year.
Defunded was second in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park in January and third by three-quarters of a length in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 5.
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