Defunded will have company on front end in Native Diver

There were no meaningful discussions about sending Defunded to the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland earlier this month after his win in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes on Oct. 1 at Santa Anita.

“Zero,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “I didn’t want to ship him. If it would have been at Santa Anita, I would have run him.”

Defunded remained in California and will have his first start since the Awesome Again in Sunday’s Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Del Mar.

A ship from Baffert’s base at Santa Anita to Keeneland involves a plane ride. A ship from Santa Anita to Del Mar is a van ride of less than three hours. A quiet journey to Del Mar and uneventful last-minute preparation will be key for Defunded, who has sometimes displayed nervous habits in the minutes before a race.

“We’ve got to get him shipped down there and hope he behaves himself,” Baffert said. “He’s doing well.”

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Defunded, owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, has worked quickly through November at Santa Anita and drew post 5 in a field of six in the $150,000 Native Diver Stakes.

Race tactics are clear. Defunded will be sent to the front by jockey Edwin Maldonado, who was aboard for the first time in the $301,500 Awesome Again at 1 1/8 miles, a race in which the gelding led throughout.

“He’s got to have the lead, and there is speed in there,” Baffert said.

Defunded, 4, could face an early challenge from the 3-year-old Newgrange, a former member of Baffert’s stable now trained by Phil D’Amato. Bought at a horses in training sale for $325,000 in July, Newgrange won his second start for D’Amato in an allowance race at a mile on Nov. 6 at Santa Anita by leading throughout.

When trained by Baffert earlier this year, Newgrange won two Grade 3 races – leading throughout the Sham Stakes at a mile at Santa Anita and closing from third in the Southwest Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn Park.

Jockey Ricky Gonzalez, who won the 1,000th Thoroughbred race of his career on Thursday at Del Mar, rode Newgrange for the first time Nov. 6 and will be given a flexible assignment regarding race tactics in the Native Diver, D’Amato said.

The Native Diver is Newgrange’s first start at 1 1/8 miles.

“I’m just going to leave it up to Ricky,” D’Amato said. “We’ll let him figure it out. I think the horse will be forwardly placed. We’re speed and Baffert’s speed.

“I think we’ve got a nice sharp horse, running against nice horses. This will tell us where he stands.”

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Go Joe Won, winner of the Shared Belief Stakes from the front at Del Mar in September, also could be part of the pace.

Baffert also starts Azul Coast, who won the 2021 Native Diver but is winless in two starts this year.

Parnelli, fifth in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar in July, returns from a layoff of nearly four months after quick recent works at Del Mar for trainer John Shirreffs.

The two-time stakes winner Tizamagician will not be far from the front and is starting at 1 1/8 miles for the first time this year. Tizamagician started in marathon races on dirt this year but is winless in three appearances. Trained by Richard Mandella, Tizamagician was third at 9-10 in the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup at 1 1/2 miles on Oct. 2 at Santa Anita, racing near the front to the final turn.

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