Fun to Dream continues big day for Baffert with La Brea victory

ARCADIA, Calif. – A California-bred filly with a Kentucky pedigree knocked off her first Grade 1 victory Monday as trainer Bob Baffert continued his domination of dirt races on opening day of the winter meet at Santa Anita.

Fun to Dream, sired by the late Arrogate and produced by a Maria’s Mon mare, won the seven-furlong La Brea Stakes by three-quarters of a length in a sparkling 1:21.99 to stamp her presence in the older filly and mare division. The La Brea was restricted to 3-year-old fillies. Fun to Dream earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure, a career best.

Baffert had the La Brea surrounded with four of the seven starters. The win by second choice Fun to Dream ($7.40) was the trainer’s fourth dirt win of the day following a G2 comeback victory by Country Grammer, a smashing debut by 2-year-old colt Faustin, and a maiden victory by Bletchley Park.

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Fun to Dream drew best of the Baffert quartet in the La Brea, breaking from post 5 outside her stablemates Under the Stars, Midnight Memories, and Ganadora. Under the Stars broke from the rail and finished last; race favorite Midnight Memories finished fourth; Ganadora dueled and weakened to fifth.

Jockey Juan Hernandez and Fun to Dream broke like a shot and pressed the pace three wide outside pacesetters Ain’t Easy and Ganadora. Those two faltered after early fractions of 22.05 and 44.80. Fun to Dream rallied to the lead three wide into the lane and held off runner-up Awake at Midnyte. Longshot Kirstenbosch picked up the pieces to finish third.

Fun to Dream’s owners are co-breeder Connie Pageler and Baffert’s wife, Jill. The gray filly has won five of six starts, including a pair of Cal-bred sprint stakes at Del Mar in summer and fall. The difference between her La Brea win and her low-rated, workmanlike win last out in the Betty Grable at Del Mar was the start.

“The difference, last time was a little rough,” Hernandez said. “I got bumped a couple times and I don’t think she liked that. But today, I really got a clear break.”

Fun to Dream appeared loaded throughout the La Brea, and even when Awake at Midnyte rallied menacingly into the lane, Fun to Dream never looked like a loser. The La Brea was the third win on the card for Hernandez.

Fun to Dream won a 1 1/16-mile allowance race in October, and Baffert said plans call for her “definitely” to stretch back out to two turns.

“It looks like she’s just getting better and better, Baffert said. “She doesn’t know she’s a Cal-bred.”

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