Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
CALIFORNIA West Coast among a.m. stars
What do you get when you combine the winners of the Travers Stakes, Kentucky Oaks, Pacific Classic, and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies?
The Monday work tab at Del Mar.
It was an all-star lineup that hit the track early Monday prior to the final card of the meet, with the likes of West Coast, Abel Tasman, Collected, and Champagne Room working, along with such top-class runners as Cupid and Vale Dori.
West Coast, the Travers winner, went three furlongs in 35.60 seconds in company with the older horse Cupid. Baffert, who trains both horses, said West Coast would make his next start in the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx on Sept. 23.
Cupid, who won the Brubaker at Del Mar in his last start, will go in either the Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on Oct. 7, or the Grade 1, $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 30, Baffert said.
West Coast will be joined at Parx on Sept. 23 by Abel Tasman, who is the leader among the nation’s 3-year-old fillies off wins in the Kentucky Oaks and Alabama. She turned in a strong drill, going six furlongs in 1:11.60. Baffert had her galloping out a mile in 1:38. Her next start will be the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion the same day as the Pennsylvania Derby. “She’s my MVP,” Baffert said. Baffert also worked Collected, the Pacific Classic winner, and Vale Dori, runner-up last time in the Clement Hirsch, both of whom are pointing for races at Santa Anita on Sept. 30.
Collected, who went so easy in his three-furlong drill that clockers termed the 37-second work breezing, is being pointed to the Awesome Again. His main goal is the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic here on Nov. 4.
“He loves this place,” Baffert said.
Vale Dori, who will run in the Grade 1, $300,000 Zenyatta next time, went four furlongs in 49.40 seconds.
Champagne Room, last year’s champion 2-year-old filly and winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, continued her solid series of works for her comeback with a six-furlong move in 1:13.60. Her trainer, Peter Eurton, said Champagne Room would return in the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks on Sept. 24.
Baffert sets Del Mar win record
Bob Baffert on Saturday overtook the late Mike Mitchell for the most career wins at Del Mar among trainers, although the feat was not announced to the crowd at Del Mar until Sunday.
Baffert began the meet 10 wins behind Mitchell, who won 476 races at Del Mar over 37 seasons. Baffert won three races on Saturday to first tie and then surpass Mitchell, then captured his 12th race of the meet on Sunday – giving him 478 career wins – with the first-time starter Alluring Star. Baffert’s achievement was announced to the crowd after that race.
“When I first came here, I never imagined that,” Baffert said Monday morning. “Mike Mitchell was a great trainer. He won a lot of races. You look at that top 10 list and see names like Charlie Whittingham, Ron McAnally. It’s an honor to be able to break the record. Some of the best horsemen in the world are here.”
Baffert first ran a horse at Del Mar in 1986, when he was beginning to leave the Quarter Horse world and move to Thoroughbreds. He long ago became the all-time stakes leader at Del Mar. Going into Monday’s card, he had won 123 stakes. McAnally is second with 77.
Alluring Star will be a future stakes performer. Baffert said the 2-year-old filly would make her next start in the Grade 1, $300,000 Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 30.
Gold Rush Dancer to Johnston
Gold Rush Dancer, the winner of the Grade 3 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs in Washington on Aug. 13, may be favored in Saturday’s $75,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes for California-breds at a mile at Los Alamitos.
Sunday at Del Mar, Gold Rush Dancer had his final workout, going a half-mile in 46.80 seconds, the fastest of 62 works at the distance.
“That was a damn fine work,” trainer Vann Belvoir said as Gold Rush Dancer galloped out.
Owned by John Parker, Gold Rush Dancer has won five stakes in his 18-race career and earned $510,613. The Longacres Mile was Gold Rush Dancer’s first graded stakes win. Gold Rush Dancer will have his debut at Los Alamitos in the Johnston.
The Johnston field is expected to include Soi Phet, the 9-yearold gelding who was third in the California Dreamin’ Stakes on turf and the Harry Brubaker Stakes on dirt at Del Mar.
Arroyo blocked from mounts
Jockey Norberto Arroyo Jr. cannot be named to ride until he contacts the stewards to discuss his abrupt departure from Del Mar in the middle of Saturday’s program, steward Kim Sawyer said on Sunday.
Arroyo had one mount remaining on Saturday when he told his jockeys’ room valet that he had a family emergency and left the track, steward Grant Baker said last Saturday. Arroyo did not alert jockeys’ room officials or track stewards of his departure, Baker said.
Sawyer said Arroyo was informed he needed to meet with track stewards on Sunday morning, but the rider had “no contact at all” with stewards, she said.
Arroyo, 41, began a three-day suspension on Sunday for causing interference in the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 27. Arroyo rode Zapperkat, who was disqualified from first to second for lugging out in the stretch. The suspension is scheduled to end on Thursday, the opening day of the Los Alamitos September meeting.
Arroyo was also fined $200 last week for failing to attend mandatory film review sessions on Aug. 30 and 31, according to a ruling issued by Del Mar stewards on Aug. 31.