Hollywood Park: Liaison adds to Baffert's wealth of 2-year-olds by taking Real Quiet

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The irony wasn’t lost on trainer Bob Baffert on Saturday at Hollywood Park, winning the Real Quiet Stakes with a colt whose grandfather is Victory Gallop.

“A horse I hate,” Baffert called Victory Gallop, the horse who denied Real Quiet’s quest to win the 1998 Triple Crown.

Baffert may grow to like him, though, if Liaison continues his ascent. Liaison ($3.80), the favorite in the $100,000 Real Quiet, added himself to Baffert’s lengthy list of promising 2-year-old males with a half-length victory in this ungraded prep for next month’s Grade 1 CashCall Futurity.

Liaison, fourth early in the six-horse field, rallied three paths wide in the clear on the far turn, took command at midstretch, and then held off the late run of Rousing Sermon to prevail. It was another 3 3/4 lengths back to Senor Rain, who tired to finish third after setting the early pace.

Captain Obvious, who started sluggishly, was fourth, and was followed by Tiz Point and Runstevierun.

With jockey Rafael Bejarano up, Liaison covered 1 1/16 miles on Cushion Track in 1:44.72.

Liaison, a son of Indian Charlie, is out of the mare Galloping Gal, by Victory Gallop. He is owned by Arnold Zetcher. Liaison was third in his debut going one mile at Del Mar on Sept. 3, then defeated maidens sprinting in his second and most recent start last month at Santa Anita.

“He’s getting better and better,” Baffert said. “He’s still green.”

Baffert said Liaison is “not your typical Indian Charlie.”

“They usually have a lot of brilliance, like Uncle Mo, but he’s not like that,” Baffert said. “He’s more like Victory Gallop.”

In addition to Liaison, Baffert’s other promising 2-year-old males include Drill and Secret Circle.