Bob Baffert | Horse Racing Free Tips

Feb. 14 Insights

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WELL-BRED WAR FRONT DEBUTS IN HALLANDALE

1st-GP, $50K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 12:40 p.m.

Shug McGaughey saddles a blue-blooded first timer in Joe Allen homebred TRACY FLICK (War Front). Her GSP dam Stay the Night (Arch) is a daughter of MSW & MGSP Louve Royale (Ire) (Peintre Celebre). This is also the family of European Highweight Loup Sauvage (Riverrman); French Highweight Loup Solitaire (Lear Fan); MGSW Loup Breton (Ire) (Anabaa); and GSW Copper Bullet (More Than Ready).

The Flying Pharoah (American Pharoah) debuts in this test for Christophe Clement. Her second dam is MGISW and Argentinian champion Salt Champ (Arg) (Salt Lake), who also produced Grade I-winning millionaire Champ Pegasus (Fusaichi Pegasus).

Jeff Drown's $450,000 FTSAUG buy Solo Uno (Medaglia d'Oro) makes his career bow here for Chad Brown. The dark bay is a half-sister to MGSW & GISP millionaire Tom's Ready (More Than Ready). TJCIS PPs

'RISING STAR' RETURNS AT SANTA ANITA

2nd-SA, $63K, OC 40k/N1X, f/m, 4yo/up, 6 1/2f, 4:03 p.m. ET

HAPPIER (Street Sense), an $800,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by Baoma Corp., makes her first start since posting a 'TDN Rising Star' performance for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert at Del Mar last summer July 31. The bay earned an 89 Beyer Speed Figure for that front-running performance over a pair of next-out winners. Happier, a half-sister to GSW King Zachary (Curlin), was the most expensive of 61 yearlings by Street Sense to change hands in 2018. Baffert also trained Street Sense's four-time GISW and fellow 'Rising Star' McKinzie.

Pharoah's Heart (American Pharoah), favored on the morning-line at 7-5, was a sharp debut winner in a maiden optional claimer here Jan. 3. The runner-up that day Bye Bye Miss Pie (Maclean's Music) followed up with an impressive maiden score of her own in Arcadia Friday.

TJCIS PPs

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‘He Just Floats Over The Ground’: Life Is Good Fires Bullet Toward San Felipe

Here's a bit of sobering news for rival camps of Life Is Good: the co-individual betting favorite at 8-1 with Eclipse champion Essential Quality in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Book Wagering is growing up.

Winner of the Grade 3 Sham Stakes at one mile on Jan. 2, the $525,000 son of Into Mischief worked six furlongs Monday at Santa Anita Park in a bullet 1:12, breezing, for his next engagement, the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at a mile and one-sixteenth on March 6.

It was the fastest of nine drills at the distance and nearly two seconds faster than the average time of 1:13.86.

“He went really nice,” said Bob Baffert, who trains the bay colt for China Horse Club, Inc. and WinStar Farm, LLC. “I let him work a little bit. We're really happy with how he went.

“He's starting to mature and fill out. He just floats over the ground.”

Baffert, a six-time Kentucky Derby winner and two-time Triple Crown king, is represented by four horses in the KDFW pool: Life Is Good (8-1), Concert Tour (20-1), Freedom Fighter (20-1), and Medina Spirit (20-1).

The category of “All Other Three-Year-Olds” is favored at 9-5.

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Fair Maiden Makes 2021 Bow in Santa Monica

Fair Maiden (Street Boss), last seen scoring a breakthrough win in the GI La Brea S. Dec. 26, makes her seasonal bow Saturday in the GII Santa Monica S. in Arcadia. Running on synthetic and turf during her five-race juvenile campaign, including a black-type score at Woodbine, the Godolphin homebred kicked off 2020 with a convincing optional claimer score in her first try on dirt at Churchill in September. Fourth to the re-opposing Merneith (American Pharoah) next out in Keeneland's Qatar Fort Springs S. Nov. 7, the chestnut rallied four wide for a decisive victory in the La Brea, finishing 2 1/4 lengths clear of Golden Principal (Constitution).

Merneith and Golden Principal make up two-thirds of the Bob Baffert contingent in this event. Merneith beat Golden Principal by 3 1/4 lengths in a six-panel optional claimer at Santa Anita Oct. 11 prior to her Keeneland victory and was third in the La Brea. In between that Oct. 11 test and the La Brea, Golden Principal captured a one-mile optional claimer at Del Mar Nov. 27. Rounding out the Baffert trio is Qahira (Cairo Prince). Run down late and forced to settle for second in the local GIII Chillingworth S. in September, the bay won the Kalookian Queen S. here last time Jan. 10.

Grade I winner Hard Not to Love (Hard Spun) looks to defend her title after taking last year's renewal of this test. The 'TDN Rising Star' has been winless since, but did place four graded events last term, most recently finishing third in the GIII La Canada S. Jan. 9.

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Report: Prat, Longtime Agent Lawson Split; Brad Pegram To Handle Book

Flavien Prat has split from agent Derek Lawson, who has represented Southern California's leading jockey since he came to the U.S. from his native France to ride full time at the end of 2014. Daily Racing Form reported the split and the fact that Prat's hiring of agent Brad Pegram has forced Drayden Van Dyke to make a change.

Pegram has represented both Van Dyke and Hall of Famer Mike Smith, but California rules restrict an agent from having more than two riders.

Van Dyke told Daily Racing Form's Steve Andersen he's “been swamped with calls already” but added that he was going to take a few days to consider options, including relocating to another circuit.

The change will take place effective Feb. 26, according to the report.

Prat did not give a reason for the move, telling Andersen, “I felt like it was time to make a change.”

The 28-year-old Prat has won numerous Southern California riding titles while working with Lawson. He is currently fourth behind Juan Hernandez, Umberto Rispoli and Joel Rosario in the Santa Anita jockey standings, with 19 wins from 113 mounts, a 17% winning percentage. Van Dyke is 5-for-49.

Now in his seventh year riding full time in Southern California, Prat has compiled 987 victories from 4,921 mounts with his horses earning over $76 million. He won the 2019 Kentucky Derby aboard Country House via the disqualification of Maximum Security and has won three Breeders' Cup races.

Van Dyke, a 26-year-old native of Louisville, Ky., has been riding since 2013 and has 721 career wins from 4,530 starts for mount earnings of $45.5 million. Among his 18 Grade 1 victories is a win by Stormy Liberal in the 2018 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

Pegram has close ties to the Bob Baffert stable, with Smith getting many of the Hall of Fame trainer's top horses. Van Dyke has previously ridden a number of Baffert's top young prospects. Pegram is the nephew of longtime Baffert client Mike Pegram and the son of longtime agent Jim Pegram.

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