6th-TAM, $31K, Msw, 3yo, 1m 40yds, 3:15 p.m.
Manzanita Stable's PEACEFUL SUNRISE (Flatter) kicks off for trainer Christophe Clement. Out of MSP Ire (Political Force), she brought $300,000–the second highest-priced juvenile filly by the sire in 2021–after breezing eighth in :10.2. TJCIS PPs

7th-OP, $84K, Msw, 3yo, 1m, 4:19 p.m.
FAITH'S REWARD (Uncle Mo) lands on the also eligible's list in this one mile main track test. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the Brereton Jones homebred is out of GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Believe You Can (Proud Citizen), also campaigned by Jones. TJCIS PPs

7th-SA, $72K, $80k Opt. Clm., 4yo/up, 1m, 6:38 p.m.
CLASSIER (Empire Maker) earned TDN Rising Star status in a front-running win at this venue in October of 2020. Eighth next time in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland, he was third in third in last June's GIII Affirmed S. before getting up for a narrow score in the GIII Los Alamitos Derby in July. He was last seen finishing fifth in Del Mar's GII Pat O'Brien S. Aug. 28. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez partners the $775,000 KEESEP buy for the first time. TJCIS PPs

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The extended dash offers extra incentive to its participants: it is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge race providing an all-fees-paid admission to the $1-million Breeders' Cup Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile on Saturday, Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

Foremost among the runners is the defending O'Brien champ, Madaket Stables, Barber or Kagele, et al's C Z Rocket, a veteran gelding who found a new lease on life when he was haltered for $40,000 16 months ago and took up residence in the barn of trainer Peter Miller. All the 7-year-old has done since is win seven races, four of them stakes, and place in three other added-money tests to bank more than $1.1-million for his new connections.

His regular rider of late, Florent Geroux, will come into town to accept the mount Saturday and they'll break from Post 9 in the seven-furlong chute. C Z Rocket has been made the 5/2 morning line favorite by Del Mar's morning line maker Jon White.

Here's the full field for the O'Brien from the rail out with riders and morning line odds:

1. Slam Dunk Racing, McClanahan or Nentwig, et al's Ginobili (Drayden Van Dyke, 6-1)
2. Little Red Feather Racing, It Pays to Dream Racing Stable or Kawahara, et al's Howbeit (Kyle Frey, 6-1)
3. Barnhart, Foxx or Naify, et al's Surfing Star (apprentice Jessica Pyfer, 30-1)
4. Martin or Martin's Mo Mosa (Ramon Vazquez, 10-1)
5. Coolmore Stud, Madaket Stables or Starlight Racing, et al's Eight Rings (Abel Cedillo, 6-1)
6. SF Racing, Starlight Racing or Madaket Stables, et al's Classier (Mario Gutierrez, 12-1)
7. Alfred Pais' Brickyard Ride (Juan Hernandez, 8-1)
8. Lanes' End Racing or Hronis Racing's Flagstaff (Joe Bravo, 3-1)
9. C Z Rocket
10. Gilbert and Sones' California Street (Wayne Barnett, 30-1)

Chief threat to C Z Rocket appears to be another classy veteran, the 7-year-old Flagstaff, a winner of seven races and $1,011,585. The gelding by sprint champion Speightstown has made five starts this year, but this will be his first in his California home base. He's run at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas, Keeneland and Churchill Downs in Kentucky and Belmont Park in New York, winning a pair of Graded stakes and placing in another. Flagstaff ran second in the O'Brien last year, a half length behind C Z Rocket.

Trainer Bob Baffert has a pair in the dash in Eight Rings and Classier. The former, a 4-year-old colt by Empire Maker, was second beaten only a neck in the Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs earlier in the meet. Classier, a 3-year-old colt also by Empire Maker, shortens up off a score in the Los Alamitos Derby at nine furlongs on July 4.

Ginobili comes into the heat of a romping nine and three-quarter lengths triumph in an allowance race at Del Mar on July 17. He was running a mile that day and will be looking for his first stakes victory Saturday.

Howbeit is another coming into the race off a smart allowance score – two of them, in fact. The Secret Circle 4-year-old has six wins and $230,956 in earnings.

Brickyard Ride, one of only two California-breds in the field, sports a record of eight wins with earnings of $470,477. Much of his money making has been accomplished against state-breds, but he has won against open company, including a tally in the Grade II San Carlos Stakes at Santa Anita this past March.

Post time for the Saturday 11-race card is at 2 p.m.

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“There have been rumors about that horse since May 1,” Baffert said with a laugh this morning. “There has been a lot of talk about that horse.

“He's going to breeze this week and I'll know more after that. I go work-by-work with him. I'm looking at the Pennsylvania Derby, maybe as an option. (The question becomes) Do I give him a race here? I'm going to let him tell me, the horse will let me know.”

Medina Spirit was not among the 14 nominated for the Shared Belief by Thursday night's deadline. Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World notably was, and trainer John Sadler said that will be the next assignment for the son of Candy Ride. Supplemental entries, at a cost of $1,000, can be made up to closing time of entries next Friday morning.

The $1 million Pennsylvania Derby, a 1 1/8-mile test for 3-year-olds, is set for September 25 at Parx, formerly Philadelphia Park, in Bensalem, Penn.

Classier, another of Baffert's talented 3-year-olds, worked six furlongs in a bullet 1:11.00 this morning and will run here in either the Shared Belief or next Saturday's $200,000 Grade 2 Pat O'Brien Stakes, a seven-furlong extended sprint for 3-year-olds and up.

Yet another Baffert standout, Gamine, worked six furlongs in 1:12.00 with an eye toward next week's Ballerina at Saratoga and Baffert's As Time Goes By, a winner of two stakes at the Santa Anita meeting, covered five furlongs in a bullet :58.80.

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The race was a straightforward one from the start. Classier took the lead from the break, striding out to a length and a quarter lead over It's My House and Defunded, with Ingest and Back Ring Luck a length and a half back. The field maintained their running positions through the backstretch, with Abel Cedillo on Defunded waiting for the final turn to start bidding for the lead.

After running on easy lead throughout, Mike Smith and Classier had plenty left for his stretch run and challenge from his stablemate. In the straightaway, Defunded closed the gap with Classier but was unable to pass his fellow Baffert trainee, coming within a nose of Classier at the wire. With this victory in the G3 Los Alamitos Derby, Classier earns his first stakes win of his career. Ingest, It's My House, and Back Ring Luck rounded out the field of five.

Find this race's chart here.

The short field meant no show wagering at Los Alamitos. Classier paid $4.60 and $2.20. Defunded paid $2.10.

Mike Smith knew Classier had plenty of potential in only his fourth start. “I waited until the eighth pole to ask him and when he saw (Defunded) he really dug in. This is a big colt with a lot to him and he is going to get even better.''

Baffert, who earned his fifth straight win in this race, was glad that he started Classier in the G3 Derby despite beating fellow trainee Defunded. “I wasn't going to run (Classier) in this race. I talked to the ownership group and told them I was going to work him and if he worked well I'd run him. He worked very well (:47 1/5 half-mile July 1 at Santa Anita), so we decided to go. I really thought and the rider (Abel Cedillo) thought Defunded had him the whole way. It was pretty exciting and I was really hoping for a dead heat because I've always wanted one of those in a stakes so you don't have to make that other call. We thought he'd be on the lead last time, but he stumbled leaving the gate and he really needed the race (the Grade 3 Affirmed June 13). He's going to improve off this. I can take my time with him now and figure out a spot because he is bred to be superstar.''

Classier is a 3-year-old colt owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm, and Robert Masterson. He was sired by Empire Maker out of the Bernardini mare Class Will Tell. Bred in Kentucky by Mary Sullivan, Classier was consigned by Lantern Hill Farm and purchased for $775,000 by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables at the Keeneland September 2019 Yearling Sale. Sunday's win improves Classier to two wins in four lifetime starts for total winnings of $155,000.

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Leading the Baffert duo is Defunded (Dialed In), who was fourth in both the Apr. 3 GI Santa Anita Derby and the May 1 GII Pat Day Mile. The gelding enters off a runner-up effort in the GIII Affirmed S. at Santa Anita June 13.

Baffert also saddles 'TDN Rising Star' Classier (Empire Maker), who was a well-beaten third in the Affirmed. A decisive debut winner in Arcadia Oct. 24, he was a non-factor eighth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 6 and was making his sophomore debut last out.

Taking on the Baffert duo are Back Ring Luck (Malibu Moon), Ingest (Square Eddie) and It's My House (Anthony's Cross).

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Restricted to 3-year-olds and scheduled for 1 1/8 miles, the Grade 3 will go as the fourth of nine races. Post time Sunday is 1 p.m. Scheduled post time for the main event is 2:28 p.m.

Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman and trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Defunded has a win in five starts and earnings of $140,700. He had the lead in the stretch in the Grade 3 Affirmed, but was unable to withstand the closing surge of The Chosen Vron while finishing 11 lengths of the rest of the field.

A gelded son of Dialed In and the Touch Gold mare Wind Caper, Defunded will be trying to give Baffert his fifth consecutive victory in the Los Alamitos Derby and his sixth in the last seven years. His half-dozen wins in the race since 2014 include Gimme Da Lute (2015), West Coast (2017), Once On Whiskey (2018), Game Winner (2019) and Uncle Chuck (2020).

Baffert also entered Classier, a distant third as the 7-5 favorite in the Affirmed.

Owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm LLC and Robert Masterson, the Empire Maker colt out of the Bernardini mare Class Will Tell has one win in three starts and has earned $65,000.

Trained by Bob Hess, Jr. for Doug Gans, Gary Jacobs, Larry Katz and Kevin Riggs, It's My House returns to California after being eased over a sloppy surface in the $300,000 Texas Derby May 31 at Lone Star Park.

A son of Anthony's Cross and the Grand Reward mare Gerry's Reward, It's My House has won twice in six starts and banked $60,760. A second-out maiden winner Jan. 31 at Golden Gate Fields when trained by Jamey Thomas, the Florida bred cashed as the favorite in the Turf Paradise Derby March 12 for his other win in his initial race for Hess.

Owned by the Clarke M. Cooper Family Trust, Mia Familia Racing Stable and Wade Jacobsen and trained by John Sadler, who won the 2016 Los Alamitos Derby with Accelerate, Back Ring Luck will be seeking his first on the board finish in California.

The Malibu Moon gelding out of the Rahy mare Patti O'Rahy was eased in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby April 3, then was fourth and fifth in a pair of optional claimers May 15 and June 5 with the latter effort coming on turf.

Back Ring Luck won twice in five starts before shipping to this coast. He defeated $30,000 maidens at Churchill Downs last Nov. 13 when trained by W. Bret Calhoun, then won an optional claimer for trainer Al Cates March 5 at Oaklawn Park after being claimed out of his initial win.

A close fourth in the Snow Chief Stakes on turf June 19, Ingest will switch to the main track for owners Grant Alvernaz and Steve Ribeiro and trainer Doug O'Neill.

A son of Square Eddie and the Rock Hard Ten mare Octogarian, the gelding is 1-for-9 with a bankroll of $58,180. His lone win came at eight furlongs on turf last Sept. 26. He's yet to hit the board in three attempts on dirt.

From inside out, the field for the Los Alamitos Derby: Classier, Mike Smith rides, 122 pounds; It's My House, Edwin Maldonado, 122; Defunded, Abel Cedillo, 122; Back Ring Luck, Tyler Baze, 122 and Ingest, Juan Hernandez, 122.

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The race for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles will be brought back as an extra for Sunday, July 4 in hopes of drawing more entrants, so it could be run on the next-to-last day of the Summer Thoroughbred Festival at Los Al.

Entries for the July 4 program will be taken Thursday, July 1.

Eight horses were nominated to the Los Alamitos Derby: Back Ring Luck, Classier, Defunded, Hudson Ridge, Ingest, It's My House, Mr. Impossible, and Mucho Del Oro.

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The $775,000 KEESEP graduate got the 'TDN Rising Star' nod on debut sprinting at Santa Anita Oct. 24, then returned on quick notice with an eighth-place finish after showing speed in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile last time Nov. 6. Working bullets for his return, Bob Baffert takes the blinkers off for this.

The Chosen Vron (Vronsky) tackles two turns for the first time here. The Cal-bred was impressive in his last two, capturing the Echo Eddie S. Apr. 3 and GIII Lazaro Barrera S. May 15 with a pair of 90 Beyer Speed Figures.

Mr. Impossible (Munnings) took a big step forward with a maiden win at fifth asking stretching to a mile in Arcadia most recently May 16.

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To read previous editions of The Haiku Handicapper, click here.

#1 – Camp Hope
Impressive debut
Launches him in the deep end
This is a big ask

#2 – King Fury
Matured last time out
He's bred for a day like this
Must keep progressing

#3 – Reinvestment Risk
He's the class leader
If we pretend to ignore
Jackie's Warrior

#4 – Likeable
Late-bloom potential
Given his form, pedigree
Eye him for a price

#5 – Essential Quality
Classy pedigree
Classy Grade 1 progression
All the tools are there

#6 – Keepmeinmind
Shock second last out
And he nabs Jose Ortiz
A “hit the board” threat

#7 – Jackie's Warrior
The mountain to scale
Does he meet the hype head-on
Or begin descent?

#8 – Classier
Others have done more
But you can't ignore his barn
Off a hot debut

#9 – Sittin On Go
His dad loved Keeneland
Short-stretch finish line won't help
His deep-closing ways

#10 – Dreamer's Disease
The lesser entry
Of the Diodoro pair
Put bluntly, he'd shock

#11 – Next
Dual surface winner
Gaudy last-out score misleads
Not sure it's his spot

#12 – Hot Rod Charlie
Found new life on dirt
Great fit for an “other than”
Not the Breeders' Cup

#13 – Rombauer
Switch to dirt paid off
Another that might be felled
By Keeneland's short stretch

#14 – Calibrate
He'll have to run wide
And show something he didn't
In his limp class jump

Prediction
Good day for Darley
“Quality” tops Likeable
Eight, three fill it out

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Baffert and the ownership group of six partners elected to try Classier in the Juvenile, which has never been won by a horse in its second career start. Two weeks after his facile 6 ½-furlong victory, he will be trying two turns for the first time at 1 1/16 miles.

“He's lightly raced, but he could be a superstar,” Baffert said. “It's a tough race.”

Classier shipped from California with the rest of the Baffert runners Tuesday. He galloped a mile over the Keeneland main track Wednesday morning, ridden by exercise rider Erick Garcia.

Bred by Mary Sullivan, who rarely sells her young horses and races as Sullimar Stable, she decided to offer this colt out of Class Will Tell at the 2019 Keeneland September yearling sale. He was acquired for $775,000 by the partners SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables. Three other investors have since come on board: Golconda Stables, Siena Farm and Robert Masterson.

Classier and jockey Florent Geroux will leave from post eight in the 14-horse field.

Baffert has won the Juvenile four times, one shy of the record held by D. Wayne Lukas. Baffert's most recent win came in 2018 with Game Winner.

Dreamer's Disease/Keepmeinmind – Cypress Creek and Arnold Bennewith's Dreamer's Disease and Keepmeinmind have brought trainer Robertino Diodoro back to the World Championships for the first time since his initial starter Broadway Empire finished ninth in the Dirt Mile at Santa Anita.

Both runners are listed at 30-1 on the morning line with Keepmeinmind breaking from post six under Jose Ortiz and Dreamer's Disease from post 10 with David Cohen.

“The six is perfect for Keepmeinmind,” Diodoro said. “The 10 for Dreamer's Disease; I don't mind that. All the speed is to the inside of us and I like that better than having it to the outside.”

Keepmeinmind is winless in two starts, the first in an off-the-turf race at Churchill Downs and then a runner-up finish in the Breeders' Futurity Oct. 3 at Keeneland. Dreamer's Disease has won two of four starts with one victory each on dirt and turf.

“Dreamer's Disease does both,” Diodoro said. “He loved Ellis Park but didn't care for that course at Kentucky Downs. With Keepmeinmind, the way he is training on dirt, turf is not in the near future as we plan to go to Oaklawn (which does not have a turf course) in the spring.”

But that is down the road. First things first on Friday.

“I'd like to see Dreamer's Disease at the half-mile pole a length in front,” Diodoro said. “We are going (to the lead) at all costs. Keepmeinmind … I'd like to see him get a good trip.”

The competition is one thing Diodoro is not concerned about.

“You start studying too much and you start second guessing yourself,” Diodoro said. “With two horses, I just worry about them feeling good and staying happy. I know what our strategy is and I can't change that.”

Essential Quality – Godolphin LLC's undefeated Essential Quality schooled in the gate and galloped 1 ½m and he continues to impress his trainer Brad Cox heading into Friday's Juvenile.

“He was great (this morning),” Cox said. “He was very professional. I couldn't ask for him to be doing better.”

Essential Quality enters the Juvenile off his maiden victory and a win in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland. Cox feels he's capable of more.

“I really do believe he's maturing all the time,” Cox said. “When (jockey) Luis (Saez) came back after that last race, he said 'he's a machine, but he has a lot to learn.' I do think he's continuing the education process. I do think he'll move forward and he'll need to move forward. It's a solid race, deep field. He does have the experience here and he's a very talented horse.”

Jackie's Warrior/Calibrate – J. Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior, the 7-5 favorite, continues to make a favorable impression as he attempts to extend his unbeaten record to five.

“Very happy with him,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “He's training wonderfully. It's a race with 14 2-year-olds, so we'll see what happens and go from there. Jackie's Warrior got a good post (post seven), but I was disappointed with Calibrate's draw (14).”

Next – Silverton Hill Farm's Wesley Ward-trained Next has raced on three surfaces in as many starts. A son of 2016 Juvenile runner-up Not This Time, he was sixth on debut over Woodbine's all-weather in June before winning a Kentucky Downs turf maiden Sept. 16. He returned on Oct. 24 at Keeneland and manhandled an allowance field by 11¾ lengths.

A good-looking gray colt, he wheels back on 13 days' rest and drew post 11 of 14. He will also be jockey Gerardo Corrales' first Breeders' Cup mount.

“He's coming back on short rest, which is always a negative for me, but he's feeling really good and I see no reason not to go,” Ward said.

“Looking at the numbers, he fits, plus it's our home track, so we're going to take a shot.”

Not This Time is currently the second-leading freshman sire, narrowly trailing 2015 Juvenile winner Nyquist.

Reinvestment Risk – A breakout winner this summer on debut at Saratoga, Klaravich Stables' Chad Brown-trained Reinvestment Risk enters the Juvenile as one of the key contenders challenging heavy favorite Jackie's Warrior. The son of Upstart—who was third in the 2014 Juvenile—has literally chased Jackie's Warrior in two subsequent Grade 1 starts, finishing second in both the Hopeful and Champagne over 7f and 8f. He steps up to 1 1/16 m and stretches out to two turns in another rematch on Friday, while breaking from post three of 14.

“I think this horse is looking for just a little more distance and some pace,” Brown said. “Additionally, I don't think he handled the Belmont track well in the Champagne. He wasn't moving the same on it, although he has come back and worked well on that track, when held together. I just think that moving forward, running in a big race like this and on a fresh track like Keeneland will serve him well.”

Brown seeks his second Juvenile victory, having won with Good Magic in 2017, while Klaravich Stables won the 2018 Juvenile Fillies Turf with Newspaperofrecord and 2019 Longines Turf with Bricks and Mortar.

Rombauer – John and Diane Fradkin's Rombauer, who has been galloping on the main track at Keeneland for the past three mornings under Osman Cedeno, punched his ticket to the Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance with a runner-up effort in the American Pharoah at Santa Anita.

“I thought the American Pharoah came up a little light numbers-wise,” trainer Michael McCarthy said of moving Rombauer from the turf where he made his first two starts to the dirt. “He had trained well and eaten some dirt behind horses in the morning. He had a wide trip (in the American Pharoah) but finished well.”

Rombauer drew post 13 for the 1 1/16m Juvenile, the same distance as the American Pharoah. Javier Castellano has the mount.

“Thirteen of 14 … he's not going to be part of the pace early anyway,” McCarthy said.

Sittin On Go – Albaugh Racing Stables' Sittin On Go was not exactly impressive when he first arrived at trainer Dale Romans' barn but that changed as his training advanced.

“He was under the radar until we started breezing him further distances at Churchill Downs,” Romans said. “He is a big, long striding horse and he just never gets tired.”

The son of Brody's Cause confirmed his ability by winning his career debut at Ellis Park on Aug. 16. He took his unbeaten streak to two by winning the Iroquois at Churchill Downs on Sept 5.

Albaugh Family Stables also campaigned Brody's Cause, who finished third in the 2015 Juvenile at Keeneland. The outfit purchased Sittin On Go for $65,000 as a weanling at the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. They offered him the following year at Keeneland's September Yearling Sale but he was listed as not sold on a final bid of $62,000.

Sittin On Go galloped 1 ½ m at Keeneland Wednesday morning.

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