Defunded, who had been knocking on the door at the graded level for the last year and a half, picked a good time to break through as he led home a one-two for Bob Baffert in this “Win and You're In” qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.
Runner-up in both the GIII Affirmed S. and GIII Los Alamitos Derby last term, the chestnut was transferred to Sean McCarthy for his first two tries of 2022–a dominant optional claiming tally going a local mile and a runner-up finish in the GI Hollywood Gold Cup over 10 panels May 30. He hadn't shown much in two recent tries back in the Baffert barn at Del Mar, however, as he finished seventh behind several of these in the July 30 GII San Diego H. and sixth cutting back for the Aug. 27 GII Pat O'Brien S.
With the absence of divisional dominator Flightline (Tapit) providing the others with a chance to make the lead and maybe even win, Defunded was given the most aggressive ride early under speed specialist Edwin Maldonado. He posted an opening quarter of :22.67 with headstrong Slow Down Andy in nearest pursuit, but was able to slow it down from there somewhat to post a half in :46.70 and six panels in 1:10.89. Slow Down Andy took a big run at the pacesetter and looked like a winner as they pointed for home, but Defunded punched back and kept on from there to win with room to spare. Country Grammer, the G1 Dubai World Cup winner who was 19 1/4 lengths behind Flightline when second best in the Sept. 3 GI TVG Pacific Classic S., grinded his way into second.
“It was a very nice trip,” said the winning pilot. “Bob told me I had a great shot in this race so put him on the lead. And when Bob says you have a shot, you have a shot. I just want to thank Bob and all the connections for the opportunity, I'm grateful to be here. At the point of my career right now, I was due for a big race. It came through. What better time than the second day in Santa Anita? A good time.”
Baffert said, “I'm proud. Defunded ran so well here before and when we got to Del Mar, he just had a meltdown in the paddock and didn't behave himself. Today he was perfect. They all loaded in the gate perfect, and I give Edwin a lot of the credit he is such a great speed rider. I told him I'd throw him a nice horse when we got up here and he rode a perfect race.”
Saturday, Santa Anita
AWESOME AGAIN S.-GI, $301,500, Santa Anita, 10-1, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:49.38, ft.
1–DEFUNDED, 122, g, 4, by Dialed In
1st Dam: Wind Caper (MSP, $194,286), by Touch Gold
2nd Dam: Wind Tunnel, by Summer Squall
3rd Dam: Tivli, by Mt. Livermore
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN,
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($210,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Michael E.
Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman; B-Athens Woods LLC
(KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Edwin A. Maldonado. $180,000. Lifetime
Record: 12-4-3-1, $518,100. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Country Grammer, 124, h, 5, Tonalist–Arabian Song, by
Forestry. ($60,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $450,000 2yo '19 OBSAPR;
$110,000 4yo '21 KEEJAN). O-Commonwealth Thoroughbreds,
LLC, Winstar Farm LLC & Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Scott &
Debbie Pierce (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $60,000.
3–Slow Down Andy, 120, c, 3, Nyquist–Edwina E, by
Square Eddie. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Reddam Racing, LLC
(CA); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $36,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, HF, 4HF. Odds: 5.00, 1.10, 14.50.
Also Ran: Express Train, Tripoli, Royal Ship (Brz), High Connection, Azul Coast.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
Pedigree Notes:
With 22 black-type winners to his name, Dialed In has quietly amassed eight graded winners and ranks among the top 30 active North American sires of 2022. Winner of the 2011 GI Florida Derby himself, he's now sired the winners of the GI Arkansas Derby and the GI American Pharoah S., in addition to the Awesome Again, and has had runners place in the G1 Dubai World Cup, two Breeders' Cups, the G1 Travers S., and several more Grade I events while spending his tenure at Darby Dan Farm near Lexington.
Defunded also adds to Touch Gold's tally as a broodmare sire, giving that pensioner 68 stakes winners out of his daughters. Inbred 4×4 to 1992 Broodmare of the Year Weekend Surprise (Secretariat) through her Classic-winning sons A.P. Indy on top and Summer Squall on bottom, Defunded has a yearling full-sister, as well as a 2-year-old half-sister named Capital Lights (Lookin At Lucky) that sold for $40,000 to PT Syndicate #1 at last year's Fasig-Tipton October Yearling sale. Defunded's third dam Tivli produced GSW Reunited (Dixie Union), best known as the dam of MGISW Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}), a new stallion at Lane's End who is expecting his first foals in 2023.
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