Nevada Beach has first stakes win in Los Alamitos Derby, Travers now possible
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CYPRESS, Calif. - The lightly raced Nevada Beach won his first stakes in his third start in Saturday’s $100,000 Los Alamitos Derby in what may have been a trial for the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 23.
“I could see a horse like this going to the Travers,” trainer Bob Baffert said in the winner’s circle. “We may take a shot.”
A heavy favorite against three rivals, Nevada Beach ($2.80) gave Baffert his ninth consecutive win in the Los Alamitos Derby.
Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Nevada Beach stalked the Baffert-trained Varney to early stretch before pulling clear to win by 4 1/4 lengths. Nevada Beach ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.59 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 91.
Varney (5-2) finished 12 1/2 lengths clear of 9-2 Rank, a maiden after 14 starts. It’s a Factor, a 29-1 outsider, was last throughout and tailed off in the stretch. The Baffert-trained Tiz Secure was withdrawn earlier on Saturday.
Varney, a maiden race winner at Pimlico on May 17, set a quick pace of 22.86 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.91 for a half-mile, leading by a half-length.
Hernandez positioned Nevada Beach outside of Varney and stayed close through the first six furlongs.
“He broke running and he wanted to be close to the pace,” Hernandez said. “He was aggressive in a good way.
“I was waiting for the long stretch and he took off.”
The small field is typical for the Los Alamitos Derby, which has had four or five starters since each year since seven started in 2017.
Nevada Beach, purchased for $260,000 as a yearling at Keeneland in 2023, won for the second time in three starts on Saturday.
A colt by Omaha Beach, Nevada Beach won a maiden race at a mile at Santa Anita on April 19, and was second as the 3-5 favorite to the Baffert-trained Gaming in the Affirmed Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on June 8.
Hernandez has been aboard Nevada Beach for all three of his starts.
“I think he’s getting better,” Hernandez said. “He was racing a little green the first few times.”
Nevada Beach has earned $116,500.
Baffert knows that Nevada Beach will need to run as well as he did in the Los Alamitos Derby – and probably much better – to play a meaningful role in the $1.25 million Travers Stakes at 1 1/4 miles. The race is expected to include Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty.
“We’ll have to run like he did today and not like he ran last time,” Baffert said in reference to the loss by 1 3/4 lengths in the Affirmed.
Nevada Beach is owned by the partnership of Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman.
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