Kalypso ends eight-month layoff with La Brea triumph
ARCADIA, Calif. – One of the reasons jockey John Velazquez headed west this winter for the bulk of the Santa Anita meeting was his relationship with trainer Bob Baffert, and their season started auspiciously on Sunday with three victories in tandem through the first eight races, including the Grade 1, $301,000 La Brea Stakes with the comebacking Kalpyso.
Kalypso ($19.60) was the fourth win to that point for Velazquez, who also won an allowance race earlier on the card with trainer Ruben Alvarado.
Kalypso was making her first start in nearly eight months, after being pulled up at Churchill Downs in the Grade 2 Eight Belles by jockey Joel Rosario. Though Kalypso was listed in the chart as having bled, Baffert on Sunday said Kalypso had hit the gate prior to the start of that race, and that’s what caused the blood to be on her nostrils post-race.
Regardless, Baffert decided to turn out Kalypso after the Eight Belles. She had a strong series of works for her return, with three of the last five being the best of the morning. With Rosario sidelined, his agent, Ron Anderson, put his other client, Velazquez, in the saddle.
Kalypso got a dream trip, as Livingmybestlife and Brilliant Cut dueled in front of her through fractions of 22.11 seconds for the opening quarter and 44.92 seconds to the half. Velazquez sat in an ideal spot to pounce, advanced in earnest moving toward the top of the lane of the seven-furlong race, and then Kalypso put daylight on her rivals, checking in 4 3/4 lengths clear of Brilliant Cut, who out-finished Livingmybestlife by 1 1/2 lengths for second.
“I thought there was a lot of speed. I had a lot of options,” Velazquez said. “I sat against her, and at the three-eighths gave her a little nudge.”
Kalypso did the rest. She covered seven furlongs on a dull, fast track in 1:24.78 and earned an 81 Beyer Speed Figure.
Eddie’s New Dream was fourth and was followed, in order, by Canoodling, Private Mission, and Missy P. in the field of seven 3-year-old fillies.
Private Mission, also trained by Baffert, was the 3-5 favorite, but was dull in her first start since being fried on the pace in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff Nov. 6. She was shuffled back early, made a mild run four paths wide on the turn, but was done before reaching the quarter pole.
Velazquez said he decided to come west after he and Anderson “got good feedback” from a number of trainers out here.
“So we decided to take advantage of the opportunity,” Velazquez said.
Kalypso – by Brody’s Cause out of the Malibu Moon mare Malibu Cove -- has now won three times in nine starts, her other victories in sprint stakes at Santa Anita, the Anoakia in October 2020, and the Grade 2 Santa Ynez earlier this year in January. She has now earned $480,600 for her ownership group, the Rockingham Ranch of Gary Hartunian and partners David Bernsen, Chad Littlefield, and the Gainesway Stable of Antony Beck.