Unbeaten Parenting surfaces in an overnight race

The undefeated Parenting, easy winner of the Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita on June 9, and Ultimate Gamble, the impressive winner of an allowance race at Santa Anita a week later, are the leading runners in an intriguing allowance race at a mile at Del Mar on Sunday.

Parenting, trained by Bob Baffert, was considered for the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 20, but was not sent to New Jersey for that race.

A colt by Justify purchased for $750,000 at a 2-year-olds in-training sale last year, Parenting won his debut in a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita on April 26 and won the Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles by 7 1/2 lengths with minimal effort in the final furlong. In both races, Parenting set the pace.

Parenting was listed as owned by Gandharvi LLC for his first two starts, but is now listed as owned by Wathnan Racing of Qatar.

Parenting worked six furlongs in 1:11 at Del Mar last Sunday. Juan Hernandez rides Parenting on Sunday.

:: DRF's Del Mar Handicapping Packages: Get everything you need to play the races with confidence.

Ultimate Gamble, purchased for $1.75 million at a 2-year-olds in-training sale in 2022, won for the second time in his fifth start on June 16, leading throughout a one-mile race. In April 2023, Ultimate Gamble beat maidens at a mile by closing from third in a field of five.

In Sunday’s race, Glatt also runs Hero Status who led throughout an allowance race at a mile at Santa Anita on May 4. With Parenting and Hero Status expected to be prominent, Ultimate Gamble may have a stalking trip under jockey Antonio Fresu.

“I think he’s very versatile,” Glatt said of the 4-year-old Ultimate Gamble. “He was in front last time probably because he was much the best. Looking at on paper, he sure looks like he’ll be laying third to Hero Status and Parenting.”

Glatt expects Parenting to be the runner to catch, but is hopeful Ultimate Gamble’s experience will help the colt prevail.

“Parenting is 3 and he could be anything,” Glatt said. “He’s got his work cut out for him.”

A fast pace may help Redline, a minor stakes winner at a mile at Turf Paradise in February who was third by a length in an allowance race at a mile at the Alameda county fair in Pleasanton on July 7. Redline will be fitted with blinkers for the first time since January at the recommendation of jockey Edwin Maldonado, who has the mount on Sunday.

“We’re hoping the pace will help up his closing kick,” trainer Craig Dollase said. “It almost looks like a graded stakes.”

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.