Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
St Patrick’s Day tops deep field
DEL MAR, Calif. – One cost more than $1 million. Another is a full brother to a Triple Crown winner. Three others are firsttime starters purchased for six figures.
A maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds at 6 1/2 furlongs Saturday at Del Mar, the day’s eighth race, could be one of the more productive races of the summer. There are certainly plenty of contenders.
St Patrick’s Day, a full brother to 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, breaks from the rail for his second start. Trained by Bob Baffert, St Patrick’s Day was second to stablemate Zatter in a maiden race Aug. 20. Zatter starts in Monday’s Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity.
Baffert said Saturday’s race is a way to prepare St Patrick’s Day for longer races, hoping a win will lead to a start in the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Sept. 30 at Santa Anita.
“I don’t like the one hole,” Baffert said. “This will give us a chance to stretch him out in the Grade 1.”
Trainer Dan Hendricks is equally bullish on Major Cabbie, a first-time starter by Into Mischief who was bought for $260,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale of 2-year-olds in training in April.
“He’s showed he has enough speed to be part of it,” Hendricks said. “If he runs like he trains, he should be right there.”
Instilled Regard, a colt by Arch, will debut Saturday. Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Instilled Regard was bought for $1,050,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale March event and is owned by Larry Best. Mike Smith rides Instilled Regard, who has worked steadily in recent weeks at Los Alamitos and Del Mar.
“Mike has ridden him and likes him,” Hollendorfer said. “He’s been working out of the gate and seems like he has a good mind.”
Saturday’s race will be the debut for Paladar, bought for $225,000 at Ocala in April, and Charming Ruler, bought for $130,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September yearling sale.
Paladar, by Street Cry, is trained by Carla Gaines, whose runners frequently improve after their first starts. Keith Desormeaux trains Charming Ruler and is approaching the race with low-key expectations.
“He has trained okay,” Desormeaux said. “I wouldn’t stay he’s trained exceptional. As with most of my first-time starters, they usually need a race.”
There are three maiden races for 2-year-olds on Saturday’s 11-race program.
The second race, for maiden fillies at a mile, drew a field of eight. The well-regarded Rag Top, by Union Rags, will have her debut for Baffert against Into Glamour and Majestic Authority, both of whom are trained by Richard Baltas. Both were fourth in their first starts earlier at this meeting.
The fifth race is maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs that does not seem as strong as the eighth race. Bahamian, a disappointing fourth in his debut July 22, will race without blinkers in a field that includes the Bafferttrained Solomini, a Curlin colt purchased for $270,000 at Keeneland last September.
Mor Spirit returns to work tab
Met Mile winner Mor Spirit, who was given an easy fortnight when he wasn’t training satisfactorily, returned to the work tab in a big way Thursday morning at Del Mar with a halfmile drill in 47 seconds that was the best of the morning at the distance.
“Worked nice. Just freshened him up,” said Bob Baffert, who had not worked Mor Spirit since a dull drill Aug. 12. “The Met Mile was a hard race on him. When he first got here, he was losing interest. He was struggling with the track. He’s fresh now, seems good.”
The main goal for Mor Spirit is the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile here Nov. 3. Baffert said he could train Mor Spirit up to that race, or prep him in something like the Grade 2, $300,000 Kelso, which like the Met Mile is a one-turn mile at Belmont Park. That race is Sept. 23.
Also Thursday morning, Arrogate had his second morning on the track since returning to serious training after getting 1 1/2 weeks of walking at the barn following the Pacific Classic on Aug. 19.
Baffert said Arrogate had lost weight after the Pacific Classic, but had put on quite a bit in recent days. He said Arrogate – who will not race again until the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 4. – will not work again until after his barn returns to Santa Anita next week following the end of Del Mar’s meet Monday.
Theriot escapes without injury
Jockey Jamie Theriot escaped injury after being unseated in Wednesday’s fourth race at Del Mar.
Theriot underwent precautionary X-rays at a local hospital late Wednesday that were negative, according to his agent, Saul Marquez. Theriot was released that evening and took off his mounts Thursday to rest, Marquez said.
Theriot was aboard the 3-year-old filly Secret Shopper, who suffered a fatal injury in a starter allowance at six furlongs.
Theriot has three mounts Saturday, including top contender Spectator in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante for 2-year-old fillies. Theriot rode Spectator to a win in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes on Aug. 5 in the filly’s stakes debut.