Del Mar: Coil headed to Haskell after strong work

DEL MAR, Calif. – Coil, who finished second as the heavy favorite in the Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park on July 9, is headed to the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Invitational on Sunday at Monmouth Park following a drill at Del Mar on Monday that trainer Bob Baffert called “his best work ever.”

With regular rider Martin Garcia aboard, Coil covered six furlongs in a swift 1:11.20. Coil went in company with Prayer for Relief, who had Rafael Bejarano aboard, and was going the far easier of the two as they came to the wire together. Coil broke off about four lengths behind Prayer for Relief, who was given an official time of 1:12.

“The Haskell? Yes, definitely. I loved the work,” Baffert said. “He sat off that other horse really nice.”

Coil wore blinkers in the Swaps, but Baffert removed them for the work Monday, and Coil will not use blinkers in the Haskell.

“He went very, very good,” Garcia reported to Baffert over a walkie-talkie after the drill. “He didn’t get rank or anything.”

Baffert said Coil’s training prior to the Swaps was slightly compromised because of sore feet.

“When they put the shoes on him, they cut it too close,” he said.

Prayer for Relief, the Iowa Derby winner last time out, will make his next start in the Grade 2, $750,000 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer on Aug. 6, Baffert said.