Making the transition from Quarter Horse to Thoroughbred trainer in the late 1980s and early ‘90s, Bob Baffert had one initial goal.

 

“The Bing Crosby was my favorite race,” Baffert said Wednesday morning in the Del Mar stable area. “I thought if I could ever win ‘The Bing’ it would really be something.”

 

It’s an often-told story about how Baffert won the 1992 Bing Crosby with Thirty Slews, a horse named for the purchase price in thousands of a grandson of Seattle Slew, and then won the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint with him that fall at Gulfstream Park in Florida. Accomplishments that many consider the launching point of Baffert’s Hall of Fame career.

 

“I had some potential owners back out, so I wrote the check for $30,000 and I had only about $32,000 in the bank,” Baffert recalled. Baffert took Thirty Slews to Los Alamitos, an unorthodox move at the time, and sold shares to a new ownership group to recoup his personal investment. “Usually when you syndicate a horse you do it at a profit, but I was just glad to get my money back in the bank,” he said.

 

Thirty Slews won the Bing Crosby in 1:08.20 for six furlongs to become the first of four triumphs in ‘The Bing’ for Baffert. The others: Zensational in 2009 (1:08.57), Euroears in 2011 (1:08.17) and, last Sunday, Lord Nelson (1:07.65).

 

Euroears’ mark is the track record on the since-replaced Polytrack. Lord Nelson’s was a stakes record, eclipsing the 1:07.80 set by Crazy Kid in 1962. It was only .05 off the track record 1:07.60 by King of Cricket in 1973. King of Cricket’s mark was recorded as 1:07 3/5 and could have ranged from 1:07.60 to 1:07.79 if timed in hundredths.

 

“My wife was two years old and I think I was still in college,” he said of 1973.  “Lord Nelson is just in a zone right now, he’s doing so well and he came out of the race good.”

 

With three wins Sunday, Baffert moved into a tie for first in the trainer standings, joining Phil D’Amato, John Sadler and Mark Glatt with six wins. Baffert won training titles here for seven straight years (1997-2003) but hasn’t been a major factor in that race since with a stable of runners, and a concentration of effort, above the claiming level.

 

A quick update/rundown of some of Baffert’s marquee horses:

 

Lord Nelson – Exited the Crosby in good shape but is done here, the seven-furlong Pat O’Brien on Saturday, August 27, having been ruled out.

 

Dortmund – Had what Baffert called a “light breeze” (4f, :48.00) on Monday, his first significant exercise since being runner-up to California Chrome in the San Diego Handicap. Still probable for the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic on August 20.

 

Hoppertunity – Recovered from a fever of a week or so ago which prevented a scheduled start in the Cougar II Handicap on July 24. Worked four furlongs in :47.80 Wednesday morning and is also possible for the Pacific Classic.

 

American Freedom – Has returned here after the runner-up effort in the $1 million Haskell Invitational on Sunday at Monmouth Park in New Jersey and will train for the Travers at Saratoga on August 27.

 

American Cleopatra – The full sister to Triple Crown Champion American Pharoah is targeted for the Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Debutante on September 3 off her impressive maiden victory here Sunday.

 

 

 

Trainer Richard Mandella said Beholder showed no ill effects from Saturday’s runner-up effort to Stellar Wind in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes. The champion mare has been taking things easy since the race. Plans are for her to go back to the track for light exercise on Thursday. The decision regarding a title defense in the TVG Pacific Classic is still pending.

 

California Chrome continues light training at Los Alamitos for the Pacific Classic with his first major workout planned there Sunday, trainer Art Sherman said.  “My horse is training well. I don’t worry about anybody else (for the Classic). I just worry about him – and they should too,” Sherman said with a laugh.

 

Nyquist is back in his Del Mar stall, returning from a fourth-place result in the  Haskell Invitational on Sunday. O’Neill, who spent Wednesday morning at the Los Alamitos training base, told the Daily Racing Form that he planned to meet with owner J. Paul Reddam today to discuss plans for future races for the Kentucky Derby winner.

 

Saturday’s co-featured $200,000 Grade II Sorrento Stakes and $150,000 Grade III La Jolla Handicap drew five and 13 entrants Wednesday morning, respectively, with the post position draws pending later in the day.

 

Champagne Room, a Peter Eurton trainee,  was made a late supplemental entry to the Sorrento, a 6 ½ furlong sprint that often identifies candidates for the Del Mar Debutante.  A daughter of Broken Vow owned by Ciaglia Racing LLC and partners, Champagne Room finished second as the 2-1 favorite in her racing debut on July 16 here, beaten 1 ½ lengths by Morganite.

 

The Sorrento entrants, in alphabetical order are: Aunt Jenn , Champagne Room,  Miss Southern Miss, Rooms and Unforgiveable U.

 

The La Jolla lineup in alphabetical order:   Burger And Fries, Dressed In Hermes, Ebadan, Free Rose, Imperious One, Liam The Charmer, Lucky Bryan, Monster Bea, Moonlight Drive and Mr. Roary .

 

 

 

Shrinking Violet, a six-year-old daughter of Congaree, drew the No. 8 post and was made the 7-2 favorite on the morning line of oddsmaker Russ Hudak to defend her championship in Friday’s featured $75,000 Daisycutter Handicap.

 

Trained and owned by Wesley Ward, Shrinking Violet will have Santiago Gonzalez in the saddle for the first time in the five-furlong turf sprint for California-bred fillies and mares. The 2015 Daisycutter was the most recent of eight wins in 23 career starts for Shrinking Violet, a career earner of  $508,028.

 

The field from the rail: So Sweetitiz (Flavien Prat, 9-2), Late Spring (Drayden Van Dyke, 12-1), Desert Steel (Tyler Baze, 12-1), She’s a Big Winner (Rafael Bejarano, 6-1), Cindy’s Secret (Agapito Delgadillo, 6-1), Home Journey (Kent Desormeaux, 8-1), Long Hot Summer (Joe Talamo, 6-1), Shrinking Violet (Santiago Gonzalez, 7-2), and Swift Lady (Mike Smith, 4-1). Also eligible are: Xoxo (Norberto Arroyo, Jr., 20-1) and BCZ Middleton (Fernando Perez, 20-1).  

 

Jack Carlino, a Del Mar intern in 2014, has been back at the place where he was introduced to thoroughbred racing seven years ago for a stopover before departing on what could be the adventure of a lifetime.

 

Carlino, 21, has been selected as one of 12 young people on a fast track to a career in the sport to participate in the Godolphin Flying Start program. Originally called Darley Flying Start (the name changed officially on August 1) and sponsored by Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai,  those selected from a large pool of applicants receive  scholarships  that will afford them experience in racing hotbeds at  five different countries over the course of two years.

 

For Carlino, a recent graduate of the University of Louisville’s Equine Industry Program, the two-year scholarship will allow him to gain invaluable real world experience.

 

“You get a chance to learn about all the facets of the industry everywhere we go, and I’m excited to have been selected,” Carlino said. “We get to do a lot of big events. We get to go to the Kentucky Derby and the Dubai World Cup.”

 

The group will gather and commence its training at Kildangan Stud in Ireland on August 15. They will proceed to England and back to Kentucky in the first year and journey to Australia, Dubai and back to Ireland in the second year.

 

Carlino, from Phoenix, visited Del Mar with his family while on vacation in 2009  and “just kind of got hooked on it,” he said when serving his 2014 internship here. That internship may have given a boost to his prospects for the scholarship he now possesses.

 

“I think it helped,” Carlino said.  “I spent a lot of time in the mornings with Dr. (Barrie) Grant (track veterinarian) with his exams. I think that helped and being able to work in every part of the racetrack helped too. The connections I made obviously helped, and you can see I enjoyed it. I’m still coming back (to Del Mar).

 

In addition to Carlino the 2016 Godolphin Flying Start group consists of: Jessica Berry (USA), Joe Callan (Ireland), Tim Donworth (Ireland), Christopher Farrell (Ireland), Megan Hebbert (England), Amie Karlsson (Sweden), Luke Morgan (Ireland), Laura Pouri-Robertson (New Zealand), Madison Scott (USA) and Renshuai Yi (China).

 

 

CLOSERS --  Santa Anita Handicap and Gold Cup at Santa Anita winner Melatonin will not go for the “California Triple” in the TVG Pacific Classic, that race having been ruled out due to persistent illness, the Daily Racing Form’s Steve Andersen reports … Arrogate, a $560,000 purchase by Juddmonte Farms in the Keeneland September Sale in 2014, will make his fourth career start, seeking his third straight win, in Thursday’s second race. Another impressive effort would bolster the 3-year-old Unbridled’s Song colt’s candidacy for the Pacific Classic, trainer Bob Baffert said … Selected workouts from 293 officially timed over the last three days. Monday – Cupid (4f, :47.00), Dortmund (4f, :48.00), Midnight Storm (4f, :48.80), Alaskan Son (5f, 1:01.80), Bluegrass Bronco (6f, 1:15.00) and Ziconic (6f, 1:12.60). Tuesday – Cyrus Alexander (6f, 1:12.20). Wednesday – Hoppertunity (4f, :47.80), Indygo Holiday (4f, :46.20), Sawyer’s Hill (4f, :46.20), Vyjack (4f, :47.00), Big Gray Rocket (5f, :58.20) and Prize Exhibit (5f, 1:04.00).

 

(Current Through Sunday, July 31, 2016 Inclusive)

Jockey	Mts	1st	2nd	3rd	Win%	In-money%	Money Won
Flavien Prat	76	16	9	6	21%	41%	$922,735
Santiago Gonzalez	69	11	11	12	16%	49%	$514,354
Tyler Baze	76	9	11	14	12%	45%	$626,213
Rafael Bejarano	51	8	9	10	16%	53%	$589,141
Victor Espinoza	28	8	4	4	29%	57%	$653,068
Kent Desormeaux	55	7	13	8	13%	51%	$532,750
Stewart Elliott	41	7	2	1	17%	24%	$244,625
Mario Gutierrez	34	6	5	3	18%	41%	$344,192
Norberto Arroyo, Jr.	26	4	5	4	15%	50%	$170,750
Jamie Theriot	19	3	5	2	16%	53%	$157,215

 

 

(Current Through Sunday, July 31, 2016 Inclusive)

Trainer	Sts	1st	2nd	3rd	Win%	In-money%	Money Won
Philip D'Amato	29	6	6	4	21%	55%	$556,211
Bob Baffert	26	6	5	2	23%	50%	$518,245
Mark Glatt	17	6	3	4	35%	76%	$209,695
John W. Sadler	22	6	2	4	27%	55%	$459,480
Peter Miller	35	5	4	6	14%	43%	$290,175
Richard Baltas	21	5	3	4	24%	57%	$277,321
Jerry Hollendorfer	29	4	4	2	14%	34%	$269,324
Doug F. O'Neill	43	3	5	6	7%	33%	$212,275
Brian J. Koriner	12	3	4	1	25%	67%	$150,935
James M. Cassidy	20	3	2	4	15%	45%	$174,727

 

 

(Current Through Sunday, July 31, 2016 Inclusive)

Winning favorites -- 40 out of 117 -- 34.19%

Winning favorites on dirt -- 27 out of 76 -- 35.53%

Winning favorites on turf -- 13 out of 41 -- 31.71%

Winning odds-on favorites -- 6 out of 12 -- 50.00%

In-the-Money favorites -- 83 out of 117 -- 70.94%

In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 9 out of 12 -- 75.00%

 

 

 Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793