Desert Gate should end summerlong drought in Shared Belief
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A return to California and a start in Sunday’s $125,000 Shared Belief Stakes for 3-year-olds at Del Mar may reverse a discouraging summer season for the three-time stakes winner Desert Gate.
Trained by Bob Baffert for the partnership of Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, Desert Gate had a brilliant spring, winning the $192,000 Hot Springs Stakes at a mile by 9 3/4 lengths at Oaklawn Park in March and the Grade 3, 1 1/16-mile Texas Derby at Lone Star Park by 6 1/4 lengths on Memorial Day.
Fourth-place finishes in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby at Thistledown on June 20 and the $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows on July 11 have dented Desert Gate’s reputation. Baffert said on Thursday that Desert Gate has thrived at Del Mar and expects a winning effort against seven rivals in the one-mile Shared Belief.
“We backed off of him a little bit,” Baffert said. “I freshened him up and he needed it. I think he’s back to where he was.”
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Desert Gate has won 4 of 9 starts and earned $586,725. To add to those figures, jockey Juan Hernandez must conserve some of Desert Gate’s energy in the first half of the race.
Desert Gate often leads or disputes the pace and could be joined in that position by Ahrens and Decisive Win, who were first and third in an allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 1. Ahrens, claimed for $32,000 at Santa Anita in February, is unbeaten in three starts in sprints on dirt. He was seventh in his only start at a mile, which came on turf on March 29.
“Either he can’t run long or he doesn’t like the turf,” trainer John Sadler said. “What was impressive last time was it was 3 and up. It was a good quality win.”
The front-runners may face late threats from the stakes winner Start the Ride and the improving gelding Essos.
Start the Ride won the $175,500 California Cup Derby for statebreds at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita in January. This summer, Start the Ride was second by a half-length after leading in the stretch in the $100,000 Los Alamitos Derby at 1 1/8 miles on June 27, and fourth by 1 1/2 lengths in the $152,500 Real Good Deal Stakes for statebred 3-year-olds at seven furlongs at Del Mar on July 31.
“The Los Al Derby was a tough pill to swallow,” trainer Dan Blacker said. “He should have won that race. We ran him in the seven-eighths race because he’s a Cal-bred. He needs two turns, for sure. I feel like we have a good chance.”
Essos, trained by Mark Glatt, was gelded in early June. He had his first start of the summer on Aug. 2, closing from last of five to win a maiden race at a mile by 2 1/2 lengths.
“He’s improved since being gelded,” Glatt said. “He’s still kind of a green horse that’s learning how to run and put it all together. He did it last time, but he’ll have to do it more so on Sunday.”