Bob Baffert | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mendelssohn’s Classical Cat Springs The Upset At Del Mar

5th-Del Mar, $81,500, Msw, 8-20, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:03.95, ft, 2 1/2 lengths.
CLASSICAL CAT (c, 2, Mendelssohn–Conquest Strate Up {SW, $192,984}, by Not Bourbon), away as the second choice at odds of 5-1 for his career bow, broke a bit to his right from the widest post before settling in to stalk the pace while racing five wide up the backstretch. Tucked in to save ground along the rail as they raced around the turn, he inched up on the dueling leaders and was tipped out three deep to launch his challenge passing the quarter pole. He gained an advantage in upper stretch, darted clear into the final eighth and was kept under a drive to the line to win by 2 1/2 lengths. Hejazi (Bernardini), the $3.55 million Fasig-Tipton Midlantic topper, was off a half-step slowly, led briefly and was eased back to race behind the leaders to the turn. Eased out in upper stretch, the New York-bred chased gamely but was forced to settle for second as the 2-5 favorite. Classical Cat, the ninth winner for his freshman sire (by Scat Daddy), hails from the extended female family of dual horse of the year and leading sire Curlin (Smart Strike). His dam is also responsible for the 3-year-old filly Freedom Isnt Free (Practical Joke) a yearling filly by Hard Spun and a weanling colt by Tiz the Law. She was bred back to Tiz the Law for the 2023 season. Classical Cat's owner Michael House is also a partner on Saturday's GI Alabama S. romper Nest (Curlin). Sales History: $65,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $48,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Michael House; B-Pippa's Hurricane LLC (KY); T-Philip D'Amato.

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Sunday’s Racing Insights: Runhappy Half-Sis Looks to Go One Better at the Spa

6th-SAR, $105K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 3:55 p.m. ET

RARIFY (Justify), a half-sister to champion sprinter Runhappy (Super Saver), looks to go one better at second asking here. The $750,000 KEESEP graduate set the pace and reported home second-best as the even-money favorite on debut for Wesley Ward at Saratoga July 24.

Godolphin homebred Spelterini (Bernardini) also completed the exacta on debut at the Spa July 14 (Second Chances series), rallying smartly to finish a length ahead of next-out blowout winner Chocolate Gelato (Practical Joke).

The field also includes first-time starters: Grand Love (Gun Runner), a half-sister to GISW Malibu Prayer (Malibu Moon) and millionaire Valid (Medaglia d'Oro); $625,000 FTSAUG graduate Rosie's Alibi (Justify); and $435,000 FTSAUG graduate Peak Popularity (Mendelssohn). TJCIS PPs

6th-ELP, $60K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 4:10 p.m. ET

Dixiana Farms's homebred JUL QUIST (Nyquist), a half-brother to GISW and young WinStar Farm stallion Tom's d'Etat (Smart Strike), debuts for trainer Cherie DeVaux. Magnificent Mile (Quality Road), an $800,000 FTSAUG graduate and half-brother to SW & GISP Brill (Medaglia d'Oro), will also get his career started for WinStar and Siena Farm and trainer Rodolphe Brisset in this spot. TJCIS PPs

7th-DMR, $80K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 8:00 p.m. ET

MUTEKI (American Pharoah), a $1-million OBS March (:10) purchase by Baoma Corp., makes her first trip to the post for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. The filly is out of Just Parker (Forest Camp), a half-sister to SW and MGSP Qahira (Cairo Prince) in addition to SWs Stormin' Lyon (Storm Boot) and Quick Flip (Speightstown), herself the dam of GSW and MGISP Following Sea (Runhappy). TJCIS PPs

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Havnameltdown Gives Baffert a Ninth Best Pal

Sent off the 1-2 chalk on the strength of a 2 1/4-length debut victory going five furlongs July 24, Mike Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman's Havnameltdown (Uncaptured) was made to work for it, but in the end proved too classy for his rivals in Sunday's GIII Best Pal S., coming away late to take it by open lengths.

Drawn widest of all, the $16,000 OBS October Yearling turned $200,000 OBS April breezer (:9 4/5) pinged the stalls and showed good early speed to get down into the three path, where he cut the opening quarter-mile in a sharp :21.74 despite having to do some work. Maintaining a narrow advantage into the turn, the Florida-bred raced in the two path and faced a fresh challenge from $400,000 OBS March graduate Agency (Bolt d'Oro), who rolled up three wide, looking every bit poised to capitalize on the favorite's early exertions. The latter got to within about a half-length with three-sixteenths of a mile to travel, but Havnameltdown had something in the locker and kicked home about 2 1/2 lengths to the good. Longshot Man Child (Creative Cause) rounded out the trifecta. Havnameltdown was providing trainer Bob Baffert with a record-extending ninth Best Pal, but first since Klimt (Quality Road) in 2016. The same ownership group won the 2009 Best Pal with future champion 2- and 3-year-old male Lookin At Lucky (Smart Strike).

“I was outside and my plan was to stay second or third, but he was real aggressive out of the gate,” said winning rider Juan Hernandez. “He wanted to go to the front so I just let him run and do his thing. At the quarter pole he was getting kind of lazy so I woke him up a bit and he picked it up really well and got to the wire.”

Pedigree Notes:

Havnameltdown is the 11th stakes winner and sixth graded winner for Uncaptured, who was sold by Ocala Stud to South Korea to continue his stud career in late 2019 and covered a total of 137 mares in his first two seasons there, including 92 in 2020. The 12-year-old is a son of Lion Heart, whose record as a sire of sires–particularly in Florida–is well documented, as his son Kantharos achieved great success before being moved to Hill 'n' Dale. The latter's son Bucchero is off to a promising start at Pleasant Acres Stallions. Produced by a half-sister to three full black-type winners and to the dam of 2020 GIII Selene S. winner Two Sixty (Uncaptured), Havnameltdown has a yearling half-sister by Tapiture. Ashley's Babe was barren to both World of Trouble and Maximus Mischief for 2022 and was most recently bred to the latter.

Sunday, Del Mar
BEST PAL S.-GIII, $202,500, Del Mar, 8-14, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.22, ft.
1–HAVNAMELTDOWN, 120, c, 2, by Uncaptured
1st Dam: Ashley's Babe, by Put It Back
2nd Dam: Charms Way, by Salt Lake
3rd Dam: Remember Midnight, by Cure the Blues
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($16,000 Ylg '21 OBSOCT; $200,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Michael E Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman; B-Katherine S Devall (FL); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J Hernandez. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $168,000. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Agency, 120, c, 2, Bolt d'Oro–Queen of May, by Bernardini. 1ST BLACK-TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK-TYPE. ($100,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $400,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR). O-Muir Hut Stables LLC; B-Twin Creeks Farm (KY); T-Mark Glatt. $40,000.
3–Man Child, 120, c, 2, Creative Cause–Neck of the Moon, by More Than Ready. 1ST BLACK-TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK-TYPE. ($45,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-California Racing Partners, Ciaglia Racing LLC, Michelle Hanson, Richard C Pearson, Timothy J Husted & Robert Drenk; B-Dell Ridge Farm LLC (KY); T-Ryan Hanson. $24,000.
Margins: 2HF, 5 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.50, 9.40, 28.50.
Also Ran: Pop d'Oro, Jin Tong, Fleet Feet, Mardukas, Arman, King Adrock, Quagmire Magic. Scratched: Kangaroo Court. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Arrogate Colt ‘Rock’ Solid in ‘Rising Star’ Debut

Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman and trainer Bob Baffert unveiled a potentially important juvenile in Saturday's seventh race from Del Mar, as Cave Rock (c, 2, Arrogate–Georgie's Angel, by Bellamy Road) took the race by the scruff of the neck not long after the start and scampered clear to become the afternoon's second 'TDN Rising Star'.

Heavily backed as the 6-5 chalk in a strong-looking group on paper, the dark bay shot through to take up the running as the field linked up with the track proper and he clicked off an opening couple of furlongs in a swift :22.10. Skipping nicely over the ground, Cave Rock began to widen without truly being asked, passing the five-sixteenths marker in a strong :44.55 over a track that hasn't yielded many quick times during the meet. With Juan Hernandez just swinging off the colt and motionless turning for home, Cave Rock ran out a six-length winner and went even further clear on the gallop out. He is the third 'Rising Star' for Arrogate, a number that includes recent Curlin S. winner and GI Runhappy Travers S. candidate Artorius.

A $210,000 purchase out of the 2020 Keeneland November sale, Cave Rock fetched $550,000 from the 'Three Amigos' at the auction house's bellweather September yearling sale just short of a year ago. The March foal's dam won the 2011 GIII Schuylerville S. for trainer Todd Pletcher and was sold back in foal to the late Arrogate for $75,000 at KEENOV in 2020. The mare, a half-sister to GSW Lawn Ranger (U S Ranger), produced a colt in 2021 and a filly by Improbable this season before being bred back to Connect. Cave Rock is the second noteworthy performer out of a daughter of Bellamy Road, joining GI Fourstardave H. hero Casa Creed (Distorted Humor).

7th-Del Mar, $82,000, Msw, 8-13, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 1:15.81, ft, 6 lengths.
CAVE ROCK, c, 2, by Arrogate
1st Dam: Georgie's Angel (GSW, $129,564), by Bellamy Road
2nd Dam: Lalka, by Dynaformer
3rd Dam: Celmis, by Bold Ruckus
Sales history: $210,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $550,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $48,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
O-Michael R Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman; B-Ann & Ronnie Sheffer Racing LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert.

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