DEL MAR, Calif. – Richard’s Kid, winner of the 2009 and 2010 Pacific Classic and a leading contender for the 2012 running on Aug. 26, was sold privately Saturday and transferred from trainer Bob Baffert to Leandro Mora, according to a person familiar with the transaction.
A 7-year-old, Richard’s Kid was acquired by a partnership that includes Mark Verge’s Westside Rentals, Dave Kenney, and Triple B Farms. The horse was sent across the Del Mar backstretch to Mora’s stable by the evening.
DEL MAR, Calif. – With his victory aboard Lady Ten in the Sandy Blue Handicap on Friday, Rafael Bejarano edged ever closer to the single-season stakes record for jockeys at Del Mar, a mark he seems certain to eclipse before the meet’s end on Sept. 5.
Lady Ten gave Bejarano, 30, his ninth stakes win of the meet, just three shy of the record held jointly by Laffit Pincay Jr. (1976), Chris McCarron (1995), Gary Stevens (1997), and Corey Nakatani (1998). There are nearly three weeks to go in the meet, and he has live mounts in just about every stakes race.
DEL MAR, Calif. - The Pacific Classic may draw a field of 10, including Hollywood Gold Cup winner Game On Dude and Richard’s Kid, the winner of the 2009 and 2010 Pacific Classic. Both are trained by Bob Baffert, who will also start Jaycito.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Richard's Kid, who won the Cougar II Handicap over 1 1/2 miles here on July 27, and Rail Trip are 7, and share the role of senior candidates for the Pacific Classic.
Owned by Samantha Siegel and trained by Ron Ellis, Rail Trip worked seven furlongs in 1:29 at Hollywood Park on Tuesday. A gelding, Rail Trip won the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap over 1 1/16 miles here on July 28, his first stakes win since the Grade 2 Californian Stakes at Hollywood Park in June, 2010.
DEL MAR, Calif. - The expected absence of the champion Acclamation from the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 26 gives trainer Bob Baffert an even stronger chance to win the meeting's most lucrative race.
Baffert has three probable starters - Game On Dude, the winner of the Hollywood Gold Cup last month; Richard's Kid, who won the 2009 and 2010 Pacific Classic; and Jaycito, a Grade 1 winner in 2010 and the winner of an optional claimer here on July 22.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The difference between the exercise put forth by Richard’s Kid on Friday evening and Game On Dude on Saturday morning at Del Mar was that Richard’s Kid earned prize money for his effort.
Richard’s Kid won the Grade 3, $100,000 Cougar II Handicap in track-record time, running 1 1/2 miles in 2:29.22. He won by 1 1/2 lengths, with minimal effort.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Richard’s Kid had an ideal trial race for the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 26 in Friday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Cougar II Handicap at Del Mar, winning his second stakes of the year with minimal effort.
Richard’s Kid won the Pacific Classic in 2009 and 2010 and will be a leading contender in this year’s running.
Ridden by Rafael Bejarano on Friday, Richard’s Kid ($2.80) closed from last in a field of six in the final three furlongs to win the race over 1 1/2 miles on the Polytrack main surface in track-record time of 2:29.22.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Considering his lofty status in the California handicap division, Richard’s Kid seems to have Friday’s $150,000 Cougar II Handicap at Del Mar at his mercy.
There’s one little problem. He has lost the race twice.
“He’s never been able to win the Cougar II,” trainer Bob Baffert said.
In 2010, the last year that Richard’s Kid started in the race, he finished third as the even-money favorite. In 2009, he finished second in the race.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The late summer racing schedule for Hollywood Gold Cup winner Game On Dude will not be finalized until next month.
Saturday, Game On Dude won his third stakes of 2012 in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup at Betfair Hollywood Park, holding off stablemate Richard’s Kid to win the race over 1 1/4 miles by 1 1/2 lengths. The win gave trainer Bob Baffert a sweep of the Gold Cup exacta.
Sunday, Baffert reiterated his plans for Game On Dude and Richard’s Kid in coming months. Both will be sent to Del Mar next week, where they will resume training.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Game On Dude was leading the field into early stretch in Saturday’s $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup at Betfair Hollywood Park when jockey Chantal Sutherland heard Rafael Bejarano closing in on Richard’s Kid.
Bejarano was shouting at Sutherland that he was going to catch her, which only made Sutherland more determined not to let a win in the Gold Cup get away.
“Rafael said, ‘Here I come, Chantal,’” Sutherland said. “I got a little nervous when Rafael said that.”
