Tag: Bob Baffert

Dual Grade I-Winning Juvenile Cave Rock Succumbs To Laminitis

Cave Rock (Arrogate–Georgie's Angel, by Bellamy Road), a two-time Grade I winner at two and runner-up to eventual champion Forte (Violence) in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, died Friday, Aug. 18 from complications from laminitis which developed after surgery late last month.

According to a statement from Dr. Vince Baker at the SLR Equine Hospital: “On July 28, 2023, after a routine morning of exercise, Cave Rock showed signs of colic while cooling out. He was treated with a tranquilizer and an anti-inflammatory. His vital signs did not improve, so he was sent immediately to SLR Equine Hospital. Upon his arrival, with in-depth diagnostics, it was determined that he had a congenital Inguinal hernia and the small intestine was lodged into the left side of the scrotum.

“Cave Rock was taken into surgery immediately. The surgical procedure required the resection of eighteen inches of small intestine. Recovery was routine and went very well, until signs of laminitis started on day six post-op. Despite very aggressive medical treatments, severe laminitis led to the demise of Cave Rock.”

Bred by Anne and Ronnie Sheffer Racing LLC, Cave Rock was a $210,000 Keeneland November weanling purchase and was successfully pinhooked by Fish Stables when selling to Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman for $550,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale. Accorded 'TDN Rising Star' status following a six-length debut success at Del Mar last Aug. 13, the dark bay promptly added a 5 1/4-length victory in the GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity Sept. 11 and took the GI American Pharoah S. by a similar margin Oct. 8. Sent off at just under 1-2 for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland, Cave Rock set a sensible early pace, but yielded late and was 1 1/2 lengths adrift of eventual champion Forte (Violence) at the wire.

Expected to be among the favorites on the road to the 2023 Triple Crown, Cave Rock returned to the Santa Anita worktab in early February and recorded six breezes, capped by a near bullet six furlongs in 1:12.60 Apr. 2, his last official work.

“We are deeply saddened by the sudden illness and irreversible medical condition which led to the death of Cave Rock,” Baffert tweeted. “He was a talent at the top of his class and adored by our entire team. Learning of his death [Friday afternoon] from the caring team at SLR Equine Hospital was like a gut punch to everyone who cared for this special horse. We are left with the great memories with which he graced us but we will miss him dearly.”

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Prince Of Monaco Speeds To Graded Win In Best Pal At Del Mar

In a battle of Bob Baffert-trained TDN Rising Stars, second choice Prince of Monaco (Speightstown) got the better of his more fancied stablemate, 1-2 choice Muth (Good Magic), to take Sunday's GIII Best Pal S. at Del Mar. The victory represented the 10th Best Pal score for the Hall of Famer.

Prince of Monaco, a $950,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling purchase, was content to linger near the back early as first Tranche (Collected) and then Muth led through opening fractions of :21.76 and :44.76. Closing strongly on the front rank passing the three-eighths pole, the 9-5 chance caught his stablemate–who had finally dispatched of the pesky Tranche–straightening for home. With Muth making a race out of it briefly, Prince of Monaco drew clear to score by a geared-down 4 1/4-length winner. Raging Torrent crossed the wire a clear third.

Baffert explained, “[Prat] rode [Baffert-trained Elegant, who tired to finish fifth in race 3 after showing speed) really fast and I said, 'That's okay, just don't do that on this one.'

“We knew [Tranche] was really quick and I was hoping Muth would lay off the pace but he just engaged early. [Flavien] Prat saw what was going on and he took back. I like the way the horse responded and [Prince of Monaco] had a good post for it. You put good riders on good horses, but it was really key that [Prat] rode that filly for me in the third race.”

Prat added, “[Bob Baffert] called me and asked me to come out and ride a horse for him and so here I am,” said Prat. “He was very comfortable out there; felt good all the way. I saw the pace was hot and I just waited my turn. He's a nice colt. And yes, I think he can run farther.”

Prince of Monaco, who kicked off his career at Los Alamitos July 9, was a beat slow at the start but that didn't stop him from rolling home a front-running eight-length winner, earning TDN Rising stardom in the process. Since that eye-catching unveiling, the dark bay has been showing plenty of zip in the morning, culminating with a sharp five-furlong work in :59 2/5 (6/74) at Del Mar Aug. 5.

Pedigree Notes:
Prince of Monaco becomes the 138th black-type winner and 65th graded winner for sire Speightstown. Out of unraced Rainier, the Mar. 26 foal is a grandson of MSW Clay's Rocket (American Chance), a half-sister to GI Frizette winner Adieu (El Corredor). His 7-year-old dam is also responsible for a Munnings filly from last year followed by a Constitution filly this term. She was bred back to Speightstown.

 

Sunday, Del Mar
BEST PAL S.-GIII, $200,000, Del Mar, 8-13, 2yo, 6f, 1:09.19, ft.
1–PRINCE OF MONACO, 118, c, 2, by Speightstown
       1st Dam: Rainier, by Medaglia d'Oro
       2nd Dam: Clay's Rocket, by American Chance
       3rd Dam: Irene's Talkin, by At the Threshold
'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES
WIN. ($950,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight
Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne
Bashor, Robert E. Masterson, Waves Edge Capital LLC,
Catherine Donovan and Tom Ryan; B-Stonestreet
Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien Prat.
$120,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $147,000. Werk Nick
Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Muth, 120, c, 2, Good Magic–Hoppa, by Uncle Mo.
'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($190,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $2,000,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR).
O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY);
T-Bob Baffert. $40,000.
3–Raging Torrent, 120, c, 2, Maximus Mischief–Violent Wave,
by Violence. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($27,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP; $75,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR).
O-Great Friends Stables, LLC and Mark Davis; B-Rodney J.
Winkler & Alfonso Mazzetti (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $24,000.
Margins: 4 1/4, 4HF, 15 1/4. Odds: 1.80, 0.50, 8.20.
Also Ran: Tranche, Who Is Pavel.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

 

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Pacific Classic Field Takes Shape

Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo), first and third in last month's GI Haskell S. at Monmouth, appear likely for a rematch in the Sept. 2 G1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic.

Following his Haskell victory, trainer Richard Mandella indicated the Pacific Classic was possible for the Pin Oak Stud runner, however, upon returning to Del Mar, the Hall of Famer began considering the $125,000 Shared Belief S. instead. Facing older horses in the Classic, the sophomore would run against his own division in the Shared Belief.

In the end, Mandella went back to his initial intention to run in the Classic.

“We're a little heavier on the million dollars,” Mandella said. “I have my price, you know.”

Geaux Rocket Ride worked five-furlongs in 1:01.40 (21/45) at Del Mar Friday.

Returning off a five-month respite, Zedan Racing's Arabian Knight faded to third in the Haskell after contesting a hot pace. The $2.3 million OBS Spring Sale grad was favored in the Haskell following an impressive win in the GIII Southwest at Oaklawn in January.

The Bob Baffert trainee has worked twice since returning to the West Coast, the most recent a seven-furlong move in 1:24.40 at Del Mar Friday.

The Hall of Famer is also pointing Defunded (Dialed In) to the Classic. Fourth in the GII San Diego S. last month, he previously won the GI Hollywood Gold Cup and the GII Californian.

Also nominated, Grade III winner Order and Law in addition to a pair from the Doug O'Neill barn–Slow Down Andy (Nyquist)

and SW Katonah, has developed an issue following a victory in the July 8 Pleasanton Mile.

“He's battling a bruised foot,” O'Neill says. “So we have to play it by ear.”

Also listed as possible for next month's Classic, GISW Stilleto Boy (Shackleford) and MGSW Rattle N Roll (Connect), who is also being considered for the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, run on the same day as the Classic.

 

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Baffert Firster Has Things Down To A ‘T’: A 40th Rising Star for Into Mischief

WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's Pastor T (c, 2, Into Mischief–Top Quality, by Quality Road) covered stacks of ground from a wide draw, but overcame the tough trip to graduate by 4 1/4 impressive lengths to be named the afternoon's second 'TDN Rising Star', the 40th of the all-conquering Into Mischief's sons and daughters to be accorded such honors.

The colt's worktab–both at Santa Anita and over the local strip–didn't so much whisper 'ready' as much as it screamed it and the bay was duly dispatched as a 2-5 mortal to open his account for a barn that strikes with nearly three of every 10 firsters. Drawn eight of eight, Pastor T was one of the first to break the line, but several others were equally smartly away meaning that the heavy favorite was trapped out off the track through an opening quarter-mile in a strong :21.79. Ridden along three furlongs out, Pastor T commenced his wide rally and was more or less on even terms with second-timer I Win Again (Speightstown) at the quarter pole. Juan Hernandez threw his mount over onto his right lead at the furlong grounds and Pastor T took care of the rest, gliding home an easy winner.

A $280,000 Keeneland September yearling, Top Quality–a full-sister to SW Boston Post Road–was a three-time stakes winner in the Pacific Northwest and in British Columbia and was hammered down to WinStar for $335,000 at Keeneland January in 2019. She was mated with the late More Than Ready as a maiden mare, and the results were positive, as American Speed gained black-type with a runner-up effort in this year's Leonatus S. at Turfway Park for these connections. The yearling full-sister to Pastor T was bought back on a bid of $725,000 at this week's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, and Top Quality produced an Uncle Mo colt this term before visiting Justify.

The cross of Into Mischief over Quality Road is now responsible for four winners from five starters. Three of Into Mischief's 17 Grade I winners are out of mares sired by Gone West-line stallions (Authentic, Mia Mischief, Mischievous Alex) and that same cross is found in an additional four of Into Mischief's graded winners.

8th-Del Mar, $83,000, Msw, 8-12, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:04.15, ft, 4 1/4 lengths.
PASTOR T, c, 2, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Top Quality (SW & GSP-Can, MSW-USA, $139,704), by Quality Road
2nd Dam: Lemon Bay, by Bernardini
3rd Dam: Sweet Fervor, by Seeking the Gold
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $49,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree, or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Siena Farm LLC & WinStar Farm LLC; B-WinStar Farm LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert.

 

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