Fighting Mad rolls by eight lengths in Torrey Pines

DEL MAR, Calif. – During a week in which he found out his two outstanding 3-year-old males wouldn’t make the Travers Stakes, owner Gary West and his wife Mary got a consolation prize on Saturday at Del Mar when their homebred filly Fighting Mad earned her first stakes win with a front-running score in the Grade 3, $100,702 Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar.

The Wests own Maximum Security, disqualified as the winner of the Kentucky Derby, and 2-year-old champ Game Winner, who had been training brilliantly at Del Mar for the Travers. But Game Winner was taken out of a consideration owing to a virus, and Maximum Security needs more time following a victory last month in the Haskell, so both are out of the Travers.

Asked if Fighting Mad’s win was a consolation prize of sorts, Gary West said, “A little bit.”

“It’s a challenging game. You have to take the ups and downs,” he said. “Anytime you have a horse coming up to a big race and they get a boo-boo, well, anyone who tells you they’re not disappointed is either drinking heavily or lying or both.”

Fighting Mad ($6.60) is a daughter of New Year’s Day, who is also the sire of Maximum Security.

She was favored over six other 3-year-old fillies in the Torrey Pines, and never looked back under Joe Talamo. She crushed her rivals by eight lengths in 1:38.61 for one mile on the fast main track following fractions of 23.29 seconds, 46.98, and 1:11.98.

Hollywood Hills, last early, closed for second, nailing Into Chocolate by a head. Kim K was next, then came, in order, High Regard, Sneaking Out, and Classic Fit.

Fighting Mad was trying two turns for the first time after four sprints. She had won twice previously, and was coming off an excellent runner-up effort behind older runners in a second-level allowance going six furlongs here on July 19.

Bob Baffert trains Fighting Mad.

As for the marquee names he owns, West is hopeful the Baffert-trained Game Winner can bounce back quickly, and he said the Jason Servis-trained Maximum Security needed additional time for his next start.

“He ran a hard race in the Haskell. It was one of the hottest days. The heat index was 110,” he said. “He ran hard, but it really did knock him out. We won’t run him back until he’s ready.”