Hejazi wins against salty group of maidens
ARCADIA, Calif. – Bob Baffert has won 18 maiden races with colts foaled in 2020, none more expensive than the Bernardini colt who scored a slightly overdue victory in the first race Sunday at Santa Anita.
Hejazi, a $3.55 million 2-year-old purchase last year by Zedan Racing, rolled to a convincing maiden win while making first start since he finished third in the Grade 1 American Pharoah at Santa Anita last fall.
Mike Smith rode Hejazi ($3) to the win Sunday over stablemate Worcester; the final time for 6 1/2 furlongs over a racing surface labeled “good” was 1:14.58. The win was in Hejazi’s fourth career start.
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“He’d been running with some good company,” Baffert said, in a bit of an understatement. Last summer at Del Mar, Hejazi finished second in maiden races won by subsequent stakes winners Classical Cat and Speed Boat Beach. Hejazi earned a 100 Beyer his second start. The maiden race Sunday was his first start since Oct. 8, when he finished third behind stablemates Cave Rock and National Treasure in the American Pharoah.
“We gave [Hejazi] some time, gave him a chance to reboot and get some weight back on. We put him in some pretty ambitious [races last year].”
In his comeback race Sunday, Hejazi broke from the inside post, sped to the lead while pressured by Sully through fractions of 21.97 and 44.28, kicked away, and won by 1 1/4 lengths over stablemate Worcester. Sully tired to finish third after pressing the pace.
Baffert declined to speculate on plans for Hejazi or the Zedan-owned colt who might be even better. Arabian Knight, the runaway maiden winner last fall at Keeneland, has been training super for his 3-year-old debut.
“I don’t know yet. They’re nominated everywhere,” Baffert said when asked about upcoming races. “We’ll play it by ear.”
Arabian Knight worked five furlongs Saturday morning in 59.60, and appears to be nearing his 3-year-old debut. The next graded route race for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita is the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes on Feb. 4.
The Sunday maiden race could turn out productive; two-three finishers Worcester and Sully ran well enough to be considered contenders in upcoming maiden races.
Worcester was making his second start. He finished evenly while wanting more ground.
“He just needs to go long. That was a good prep,” Baffert said. Worcester is by Empire Maker.
Sully went into the maiden race with a sporadic work pattern due to wet weather. He pressed the pace set by Hejazi and tired in the stretch. Trainer John Shirreffs was satisfied with the effort.
“I thought it was okay, because he missed a lot of training,” Shirreffs said. “He got a little tired at the end.”
Sully, by Uncle Mo, was making his first start since a fourth-place debut Nov. 13.
* The 18 Baffert-trained colts foaled in 2020 who have won maiden races, listed chronologically by date of their maiden win: Havnameltdown, Newgate, Jackstown, Cave Rock, Carmel Road, National Treasure, Speed Boat Beach, Gandolfini, Arabian Lion, Fort Warren, Fort Bragg, Arabian Knight, Massimo, Reincarnate, Gilmore, Faustin, Mr Fisk, and Hejazi.
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