Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Unique Bella OK after losing shoe in Clement Hirsch
DEL MAR, Calif. – Even though her right front shoe came loose and then fell off soon after the start of the Clement Hirsch Stakes on Sunday at Del Mar, Unique Bella emerged unscathed from the race, according to Dan Ward, the local assistant to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.
“Didn’t damage the foot at all,” Ward said Monday morning as he looked after things here while Hollendorfer tended to his Golden Gate Fields string. “We were really lucky.”
Unique Bella still gutted out a victory in the Clement Hirsch, which earned her a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Ward said the Distaff was the year-end goal, but still under consideration was whether to have one or two races between now and the Distaff at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3.
Unique Bella is possible for the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga on Aug. 25. She could run there and then in the Grade 1 Zenyatta at Santa Anita on Sept. 29, or simply await the Zenyatta.
The Hirsch marked the ninth win in 12 lifetime starts for Unique Bella, last year’s champion female sprinter. She earned a 93 Beyer Speed Figure in the Hirsch. She has won three Grade 1 races.
Rosario to ride Accelerate
Monday was trainer John Sadler’s 62nd birthday, but he was the one doling out presents. Sadler said that Joel Rosario would replace the injured Victor Espinoza aboard Accelerate in the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 18.
Espinoza fractured the C-3 vertebra in his neck on July 22 and is out for the meet. Sadler said he chose Rosario, who is based on the East Coast but once was the dominant rider in Southern California, because they “have a good history together.”
Sadler and Rosario topped the trainer and jockey stand- ings multiple times at Del Mar over the years, including in tandem in 2009.
“We won the title here, won some big races together,” Sadler said.
Accelerate is expected to be favored in the Pacific Classic, a 1 1/4-mile race for older horses that is the richest race of the season. Accelerate already owns two Grade 1, 1 1/4-mile wins this year – in the Santa Anita Handicap and Gold Cup at Santa Anita, both with Espinoza aboard.
Accelerate worked six furlongs in 1:14.80 on Sunday morning with Sadler’s assistant, the former jockey Juan Leyva.
Baffert ready to move on
The mood was of both sadness and anticipation at the Bob Baffert barn Monday morning. Sadness because Triple Crown winner Justify was set to depart in less than 48 hours for WinStar Farm in Kentucky, but anticipation over a bumper crop of 2-year-olds that has debuted with wins this meet, including the filly Chasing Yesterday on Saturday and the colt Roadster on Sunday.
Justify was feted in a retirement ceremony between races Saturday, which Baffert said “was emotional for me.”
“I was fine until he came to the paddock, and he got all pumped up,” Baffert said. “That helped bring back those emotions. I was welling up a bit. He’s so dominant. I’ve never had a horse with so much swagger.”
Baffert’s assistant Jimmy Barne, said, “It was so special what he did,” going from an unstarted maiden to a Triple Crown winner in less than four months.
Baffert said one of his favorite memories was when Justify came into the paddock for the Belmont Stakes, and “all the other horses started freaking out.”
“It was like nature taking its course,” Baffert said. “He’s such an alpha.”
Baffert is not lacking for star power. Both Chasing Yesterday, a half-sister to American Pharoah, and Roadster were romping winners in their debuts.
“The 2-year-olds we were excited about ran to their works,” Baffert said. “That’s a comforting feeling.”
Chasing Yesterday “has a good mind, was very professional,” Baffert said.
“She had a perfect draw,” Baffert said of her outside post.
Baffert during opening week sent out the filly Mother Mother for a powerful win in her first start. He said she and Chasing Yesterday would not run against each other in the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 1.
“I’m going to play it by ear, but I’ll definitely split them up,” Baffert said. “They won’t run together.”
Roadster balked behind the gate while loading Sunday, and Baffert said “he pulled his bit out.”
“They had to put the bridle back on him,” he said.
Roadster broke from the rail, took dirt early, got outside on the turn, and coasted home under Mike Smith.
“He got a lot of schooling out of it, walked off the track without taking a deep breath,” said Baffert, who said Roadster would make his next start in the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Futurity on closing day Sept. 3.
◗ A GoFundMe page has been set up for veteran trainer J. Buenaventura Vargas, who lost equipment and mementos in the San Luis Rey Downs fire on Dec. 7, and recently developed congestive heart failure that necessitated surgery to replace a heart valve and an aorta. The link is www.gofundme.com/ horse-trainer039s-race-for-life.