Nevada Beach © Benoit Photo
Nevada Beach, the heavy 1-9 favorite, stalked the pace and rolled to a half-length win in Saturday’s $100,000 Grade III Native Diver Stakes going a mile and one eighth.
Nevada Beach and Juan Hernandez sat back in third about three lengths off the lead going into the first turn. Westwood (8-1) and Umberto Rispoli traveling on the rail maintained the lead into the backstretch with a stubborn British Isles (16-1) and Diego Herrera pressing him to his outside a half-length back in second. Heading to the far turn British Isles poked his head in front of Westwood, Nevada Beach started his rally to his outside, and drew up alongside the new leader passing the eighth pole, British Isles battled back in the last two furlongs but couldn’t get past Nevada Beach, who won by a half-length.
“He went easy today,” Hernandez said. “He is a big horse, he is a train. He got the job done though… he may want to run a little more distance, he galloped out of the race well.”
Trained by Richard Baltas, longshot British Isles finished two and one-quarter lengths in front of Westwood who could not keep up with the dueling pair in the stretch finished five and three-quarter lengths in front of Indispensable. Trained by John Sadler and ridden by Hector Berrios, Indispensable was last throughout, put in a late bid around the far turn but faded in the stretch.
Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Nevada Beach earned his second graded stakes victory and third overall. He has improved his record to 6-4-1-0. Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, the three-year-old Omaha Beach colt has increased his earnings to $426,550.
Nevada Beach returned $2.20 and $2.10. British Isles returned $4.80. With the scratch of Clouseau, there was no show wagering.
Fractions of the race were 23.42, 47.17, 1:11.25, 1:35.95 and a final time of 1:48.35.
Live racing resumes with a nine-race card on Sunday, first post time 12:30 P.M.
JUAN HERNANDEZ (Nevada Beach, Winner) – “He went easy today, but his last race, it’s almost like two different horses. He broke a step slow, I had to help him get into the rhythm. Around the three-eighths pole I had to start working on him, because he was getting a little lazy on me. But Bob (Baffert) knows that this horse has talent. I trust Bob so I started working on (Nevada Beach) and it worked out. He is a big horse, he is a train. He got the job done though. I want to give my thanks to the owners for giving me the confidence. He may want to run a little more distance, he galloped out of the race well.”
JIMMY BARNES assistant to Bob Baffert (Nevada Beach, Winner) – “I had no idea how it was going to set up. I didn’t have many anxious moments, no. He won, we got it done.”