Bob Baffert | Horse Racing Free Tips

Velazquez Gets Beautiful Gift Up In Final Yards Of Santa Ysabel

It may not rise to the level of settled science, but yet another equine case study was unveiled Sunday at Santa Anita, leaving little doubt that when it comes to big race results, this is indeed Bob Baffert's world and the rest of us are merely living in it.

Although she encountered unexpected trouble a quarter mile out, Baffert's Beautiful Gift, the “Other Baffert” in pari-mutuel parlance, was able to mount a furious rally through the lane and get up to nail Michael McCarthy's Moraz by a short head in the Grade 3, $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes, an important steppingstone to the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on April 3 at the Arcadia, Calif., track. Ridden by John Velazquez, Beautiful Gift got a mile and one sixteenth in 1:44.83.

With Baffert's 3-5 favorite Kalypso showing the way to the far turn, Moraz was closing in, just a length back to her outside while Beautiful Gift sat third at the rail, about 1 ½ lengths off the lead. Approaching the quarter pole, Moraz appeared to have gained the advantage and Beautiful Gift, full of run, was poised to come through at the rail, but instead had to wait and swing three-deep at the top of the lane, allowing Moraz to hold a seemingly insurmountable 2 ½ length lead with just a sixteenth of a mile to run.

“She was full of run and I was trying to keep her from getting dirt in her face but when Rispoli (Umberto, aboard Moraz) pushed Joel (Rosario, aboard Kalypso) in, I had to take a hold of her,” said Velazquez. “But she was able to overcome it…By the time I got her to the outside, I got her rolling and I was hoping she would get there before the wire and she did.”

Idle since breaking her maiden at a flat mile on Oct. 23, Beautiful Gift, who was one of three Baffert entrants among a field of four sophomore fillies, was off at 3-1 and paid $8.00 and $3.80 with no show wagering.

“I didn't think Johnny was going to get there and all of a sudden that mare kicked in and (Beautiful Gift) is really (good). We gave her some time. She got really light on us. The further the better for her. I didn't think she got there until I saw the super slow mo, but I'm just happy that they ran well…It's nice to get these fillies, it's all I have for the Oaks, so it's fun.”

A daughter of Medaglia d'Oro, owned and bred by Baoma Corporation, Beautiful Gift is out of the A.P. Indy mare Sea Gift. With two wins from three starts, the winner's share of $60,000 boosted her earnings to $99,600.

The second choice at 2-1, Moraz finished 2 ¾ lengths in front of Kalypso and paid $3.20 to show. Baffert's third entrant, Heels Up, was last throughout and was distanced by nearly 26 lengths at 16-1.

Baffert, whose top rated Derby hopeful Life Is Good ran away with Saturday's Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes, now has nine stakes wins and 21 overall victories at the current Winter/Spring Meet, putting him first in both categories.

Beautiful Gift will receive 50 qualifying points to the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, which will be run on April 30. The second, third and fourth place finishers will receive 20, 10 and five points respectively.

Fractions on the race were 23.95, 48.13, 1:12.69 and 1:38.21.

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Medaglia d’Oro Filly Gets Up in Time in Santa Ysabel

She had to be worked on early in Sunday's GIII Santa Ysabel S. at Santa Anita and seemed an unlikely winner as late as the eighth pole, but Baoma Corporation's Beautiful Gift (Medaglia d'Oro) produced a strong rally in deep stretch to nail Moraz (Empire Maker) in the last jump while making her first start since October.

A debut third behind re-opposing GSW barnmate Kalypso (Brody's Cause) going 5 1/2 furlongs Sept. 5 at Del Mar, the homebred stretched out to a local mile Oct. 23 and surged in the closing strides to get up by a half-length as the odds-on chalk.

Off as the 3-1 third choice in this four-horse group as Kalypso was knocked down to 3-5, the bay was away without issue and found a good spot in a pocketed third as the chalk dictated terms by a measured length through a modest :23.95 quarter. Stalking Moraz turned up the heat just a touch past a :48.13 half and those two appeared to leave Beautiful Gift behind as she was pushed along by John Velazquez at the top of the far turn. Moraz pulled even with Kalypso three furlongs from home and started to do the better work soon after, kicking clear into the final furlong. Beautiful Gift began to uncoil her best stride right about then, however, and had just enough racetrack to charge alongside the leader and get her head down first on the wire. Kalypso was third.

“I didn't think Johnny was going to get there and all of a sudden she kicked in, and she's really good,” said winning trainer Bob Baffert. “We gave her some time. She got really light on us. The further the better for her. I didn't think she got there until I saw the super slow-mo, but I'm just happy that they ran well. It's nice to get these fillies, it's all I have for the Oaks, so it's fun.”

Pedigree Notes:

With the victory, Beautiful Gift becomes the 150th stakes winner and 78th graded stakes winner for 22-year-old super-sire Medaglia d'Oro. She is the second black-type performer out of Sea Gift, who won her only career start as a 3-year-old in England, following Chitu, who captured the 2014 GIII Sunland Derby before running third, beaten less than a length by Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}), in that year's GI Malibu S. Second dam Ocean Queen is a GSW half-sister to MGSW Dance Parade (Gone West), who in turn produced MG1SW marathoner Leading Light (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). A $450,000 RNA at Keeneland November in 2014, Sea Gift has a juvenile Arrogate colt named Mwari and was bred to Justify last spring.

Sunday, Santa Anita
SANTA YSABEL S.-GIII, $98,000, Santa Anita, 3-7, 3yo, f,
1 1/16m, 1:44.83, ft.
1–BEAUTIFUL GIFT, 120, f, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro
                1st Dam: Sea Gift, by A.P. Indy
                2nd Dam: Ocean Queen, by Zilzal
                3rd Dam: River Jig, by Irish River (Fr)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Baoma
Corp (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-John R. Velazquez. $60,000.
Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $99,600. *1/2 to Chitu (Henny
Hughes), GSW & GISP, $597,800. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Moraz, 120, f, 3, Empire Maker–Malvinia, by A.P. Indy.
O/B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy.
$20,000.
3–Kalypso, 120, f, 3, Brody's Cause–Malibu Cove, by Malibu
Moon. ($240,000 Ylg '19 FTKJUL). O-David A. Bernsen, LLC,
Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck), Rockingham Ranch & Chad
Littlefield; B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $12,000.
Margins: HD, 2 3/4, 23. Odds: 3.00, 2.20, 0.70.
Also Ran: Heels Up. Scratched: A Real Hero. Click for the Equibase.com chart,
the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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‘Still Green’ Life Is Good Exits San Felipe Romp In Good Order

Life Is Good: unbeaten, unchallenged, undaunted.

The $525,000 son of Into Mischief posted his third straight victory Saturday in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., breaking like a shot from his inside post position and rolling to an eight-length triumph despite meandering through the stretch.

Next up: the G1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby April 3.

“He came out of the race really well,” Bob Baffert said Sunday morning. “We're looking at staying home for the Santa Anita Derby.”

Mike Smith, who has ridden Life Is Good in each of his three races, attributed the bay colt's drifting through the lane to ogling at the track's infield screen.

“When the screen is lit up, they can see it,” Smith said after the race. “In the mornings, he goes by the screen like it's nothing because it's not on. He was locked on it down the lane today. He's so talented. I had a strong hold on him down to the wire, just holding onto him, making sure that he stayed straight.”

But Baffert, who added to his record of seven San Felipe victories, was unconcerned about the colt's sightseeing antics and wasn't contemplating any equipment changes.

“He's still green,” Baffert said matter-of-factly. “Remember Authentic did all that weaving one race … they're still babies. They're still immature. The main thing is he came out of it really well. We saw a lot of raw talent yesterday.”

Baffert trainee Medina Spirit, purchased for 15 times less than Life Is Good ($35,000), ran a game second in the San Felipe under John Velazquez, who won the Kentucky Derby for Baffert last year on Authentic, eventual Horse of the Year.

“He's a good horse and we needed to run first or second (with him) to continue on (the Triple Crown trail),” Baffert said.

“He'll either run here (in the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby) or the Arkansas Derby April 10). I'm not sure yet.”

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Into Mischief Colt Life Is Good Crushes San Felipe Rivals

Over a racetrack that has not been producing sizzling times, Bob Baffert's Life Is Good, in only his third career start, rendered six rivals insignificant as he fairly waltzed to a massive eight-length win in Saturday's Grade 2, $300,000 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., further affirming his status as the West's dominant Kentucky Derby hopeful. Ridden by Mike Smith, Life Is Good led gate to wire and despite the fact he drifted out very wide through the lane, stopped the clock for 1 1/6 miles in a rapid 1:42.18.

Breaking from the rail, Life Is Good was instantly in command, with Smith sitting still as he enjoyed a 2 ½ length lead seven furlongs from home. Down the backside, Life Is Good was totally unpressured and was four lengths clear mid-way around the far turn. From there, it seemed it was just a matter of how far he'd win by as he maintained an insurmountable advantage.

While providing Baffert with his record eighth San Felipe win, Life Is Good, a colt by Into Mischief, out of the Distorted Humor mare Beach Walk, picked up 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, giving him 60 total and thus assuring himself a berth in the Run for the Roses on May 1 while also firmly establishing himself the heavy favorite for the Grade I Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 3.

“I think he showed that he could get the distance, when a horse can get a mile and a sixteenth the way he did today, it gives you every indication they could go an eighth of a mile further,” said Smith.

When asked about the fact Life Is Good drifted out to about the 10-path in deep stretch, Smith attributed it to Santa Anita's Infield Big Screen.

“When the Big Screen is lit up, they can see it,” said Smith. “In the mornings, he goes by the screen like it's nothing because it's not on. He was locked on it down the lane today. He's just so talented. I had a strong hold on him down to the wire, just holding onto him, making sure that he stayed straight.”

A gate to wire winner of the G3 Sham Stakes going one mile on Jan. 2, Life Is Good was off at 1-2 and paid $3.00, $2.20 and $2.10.

“I like the way he got away from the gate, both of my horses (including runner-up Medina Spirit) got away cleanly, they were in a good spot,” said Baffert, who will now go about angling on winning his record 10th Santa Anita Derby. “Down the backside, that's where this horse can get a little tough and I was hoping we'd get a little 47 and change (half mile). But Mike just sat on him, he was doing it so easily, I saw 46 and four, I said, 'Well, I think I could live with that.' I always thought he would be a super horse … but at the quarter pole, I could tell he was just still cruising, just doing it easy.”

Owned by CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm, Life Is Good, who is unbeaten in three starts, picked up $180,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $274,200.

A close second to Life Is Good in the Sham, Medina Spirit never threatened his stablemate, but shook off a challenge from Dream Shake in the final three sixteenths to be second by 2 ¼ lengths. Off at 3-1 with John Velazquez, Medina Spirit paid $2.80 and $2.20.

Dream Shake, who came off an impressive first-time maiden win sprinting, was third best, finishing 3 ¼ lengths better than Roman Centurian. Off at 8-1 with Joel Rosario, Dream Shake paid $3.00 to show.

Fractions on the race, all set by the winner, were 23.63, 46.83, 1:10.55 and 1:35.46.

In addition to the 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points awarded to the winner, the second, third and fourth place finishers will receive 20, 10 and five.

Updated Kentucky Derby leaderboard

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