Easy win for Officer
DEL MAR, Calif. - Officer did not need his top effort to win Wednesday's $125,000 Graduation Stakes for 2-year-old California-breds at Del Mar.
Making his stakes debut, Officer took the lead after a furlong and pulled away easily under Victor Espinoza to win by eight lengths over Crown the King before an ontrack crowd of 10,923. Trained by Bob Baffert for the Thoroughbred Corp., Officer ($2.20) finished 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.32 after setting fractions of 22.47 seconds and 46.08. Crown the King was second throughout, and finished 3 1/2 lengths in front of Bid N Ask, who closed from last in the field of six to be third.
According to Baffert, Officer's next start will be in the $150,000 Best Pal Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 15, the meeting's first open stakes for 2-year-old males.
"I told Victor, 'If he's running well, don't let him do too much because I want to run him back in the Best Pal,' " Baffert said. "It was an easy race for him. He should have run in 1:03 and change.
"He's got a great mind and can do whatever you want. I don't know how far he'll run, but he's pretty awesome."
Officer is unbeaten in two starts, having won a maiden race for California-breds on July 6. By Bertrando, Officer was such a heavy favorite that $399,315 of the $425,332 bet to show was placed on him. He returned $2.10, creating a minus show pool of $68,274.