Maglev pulls clear in final furlong of Baffle Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - The winning margin in Sunday’s $83,350 Baffle Stakes at Santa Anita was deceptive.

Maglev ($4.40) performed to expectations, rallying wide before pulling clear in the final furlong. Maglev won by 3 3/4 lengths, but the margin could have been more if winning jockey Umberto Rispoli had not eased down on the winner in the final 75 yards.

Maglev, a troubled second in the Eddie Logan Stakes at a mile on turf in his American debut on Jan. 2, had a largely uneventful trip in the Baffle at 6 1/2 furlongs on turf. Rispoli had Maglev off the pace on the backstretch and made a wide move on the turn before taking the lead.

“He was much better today,” Rispoli said. “It’s about experience.”

Maglev was timed in 1:15.74 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 76.

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Don’t Swear Dave (5-1) closed from seventh on the turn, and overcame a rough trip to finish second, a length in front of 77-1 Olympic Legend.

Echosmith finished fourth, followed by Franklin One Star, Smuggler’s Run, Shut Up Michael and Il Capitano.

Maglev, an Irish-bred colt by Galileo Gold, has won 2 of 7 starts and has earned $103,790.

In the Logan, Maglev was beaten 1 1/4 lengths as the 2-1 favorite after racing in traffic on the turn.

Trained by Mark Glatt, Maglev races for Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal and was purchased for approximately $415,000 at auction in England last fall.

Maglev was known for being difficult to handle as a 2-year-old in England. Rispoli even contacted the colt’s former rider – Tom Marquand – to discuss race tactics recently.

While Maglev was the easy winner of a turf sprint in the Baffle, Rispoli said that is not likely to be the colt’s best distance.

“The goal is to get him up to a mile,” he said.

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