Hollywood Park: Affirmed Stakes tryouts for Just Win Baby, Kid Dreams

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The 3-year-olds Just Win Baby and Kid Dreams may be seeing a lot of each other this spring and summer at Betfair Hollywood Park.

The two maiden race winners meet in a first-level optional $80,000 claimer over 1 1/16 miles on Friday, a race that could lead to starts in the $100,000 Affirmed Handicap on June 2. Both are held in that high of regard by their respective stables.

Just Win Baby is trained by Oscar Garcia for breeder Greg Norman. A ridgling by The Daddy, Just Win Baby won a maiden race over 1 1/16 miles in a 28-1 upset at Santa Anita on Feb. 28, but was last of nine in the $800,000 Sunland Park Derby in New Mexico on March 24.

“Things didn’t work out the way we hoped,” Garcia said of the Sunland Park race. “He’s doing awesome.”

Garcia was based at Santa Anita during the spring, and moved Just Win Baby to Hollywood Park last week to give the horse a chance to acclimate to the track’s synthetic surface. Just Win Baby was entered for the Federico Tesio Stakes at Pimlico last Saturday, but was not shipped to Maryland.

Garcia plans a Southern California campaign for him.

“We can run here,” he said. “We can run him in the Affirmed. This is a nice, nice 3-year-old. I hope we can win on Friday.”

Kid Dreams, a colt by Lemon Drop Kid, races for breeder Robert Evans and is trained by Neil Drysdale.

Kid Dreams beat maidens in his second start, which came over a mile at Santa Anita on Feb. 17, and was fourth in an optional claimer there on March 15.

“I like him,” trainer Neil Drysdale said. “I think he has a future. He’s just learning. He looks to be on the improve.”

Kid Dreams made his career debut here in December, finishing fifth behind eventual stakes winner Flashback in a maiden race.

Just Win Baby and Kid Dreams are part of a field of nine. Harlington Night, who has won two races for claimers, and Kid Dreams are the only runners who have not started in stakes.

Trainer Bob Baffert starts Manando, who was third to Kentucky Derby hopeful Goldencents in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita in January. Manando was later last of nine in the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields on Feb. 16 and second in front of Kid Dreams on March 15.