Havnameltdown | Horse Racing Free Tips

Baffert Has Strong Hand In Bob Hope

Trainer Bob Baffert has accounted for seven of the last 11 winners of the GIII Bob Hope S., including two of the final three renewals when the race was known as the Hollywood Prevue S., and three out of the last four during the Bing Crosby meet capped by 'TDN Rising Star' Messier (Empire Maker) 12 months ago.

It would appear that this year's running also goes through the Baffert shedrow, which sends out three of the seven entrants. Havnameltdown (Uncaptured) is the most accomplished of the trio and is accordingly the 6-5 pick on the morning line. A smooth maiden winner on his five-furlong debut over this strip July 24, the bay overcame the 10 hole to post a popular 2 1/2-length victory in the GIII Best Pal S. Aug. 14 and was last seen completing a Baffert 1-2 behind 'Rising Star' Cave Rock (Arrogate) in the GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity over track and distance Sept. 11.

Newgate (Speightstown) was similarly impressive first time out, graduating by a widening 3 1/2-length margin, but stubbed his toe a bit when beaten double digits into fourth in the local Futurity. The $850,000 Keeneland September purchase cuts back to one turn off a weakening fifth in Keeneland's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity–won by next-out GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile hero Forte (Violence)–and gets the blinkers off Sunday.

The third of the Baffert entry is the rail-drawn Hard to Figure (Hard Spun), recent winner of the restricted Capote S. at Los Alamitos Sept. 25 and who gets a major upgrade in the saddle to Flavien Prat.

Three-time maiden Practical Move (Practical Joke) was runner-up in Cave Rock's debut and was third sprinting Sept. 3 before being promoted to the victory going a mile at Santa Anita Oct. 10.

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Cave Rock Rolls in Runhappy Del Mar Futurity

Made the 2-5 jolly to follow up on a giant, 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy debut, for which he earned a towering 101 Beyer Speed Figure, Watson, Weitman and Pegram's Cave Rock (Arrogate) made it a sweep of the weekend main-track juvenile Grade Is for his late sire and gave trainer Bob Baffert an unprecedented 16th victory in the GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity.

Having graduated by a half-dozen lengths on his Aug. 13 debut, the $210,000 Keeneland November weanling and $550,000 Keeneland September yearling was squeezed back between fellow 'Rising Star' stablemate Newgate (Into Mischief) to his inside and the commonly owned GIII Best Pal S. hero Havnameltdown (Uncaptured) to his outside, but he easily made up the length or so he'd lost to shade Havnameltdown for the lead through a quarter that was posted in a strong :21.56. Dueling heads apart around the turn as the pace remained breakneck, Cave Rock and Havnameltdown pulled well clear of the remainder as they hit the stretch, but the former found extra–particularly when switching his leads at the eighth pole–and went on to score by an imposing margin before galloping out strongly. Skinner (Curlin) picked up the pieces for third. The final time of 1:20.99 for the seven furlongs breaks the previous stakes record of 1:21.29 set by future champion Declan's Moon (Malibu Moon) set in 2004.

“He's a good horse; very professional,” said jockey Juan Hernandez, winning his meet-leading 12th stakes event. “And he's fast. He broke a step slow, but then he got right in gear and made the running. I tried to slow him down some, but he wasn't having it. So I just let him go on and do his thing. When we hit the quarter pole, I asked him and he changed leads and took off. He just wanted to go. He's something.”

Pedigree Notes:

Cave Rock is the third graded winner–all Grade I winners–and the sixth black-type winner overall for the much-missed Arrogate. Like Saturday's GI TVG Del Mar Debutante heroine And Tell Me Nolies, Cave Rock was prepared for his first trip through the sales ring by Mulholland Springs, and like the Debutante victress, the colt also hails from a Danzig-line dam. Danzig also appears on the bottom side of the pedigree of Arrogate's other black-type placegetters Catiche and Caragate.

Cave Rock's yearling full-brother topped this year's Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Sale on a bid of $700,000 from Tom McCrocklin, agent for Champion Equine, and 2011 GIII Schuylerville S. winner Georgie's Angel produced an Improbable filly this year before being bred back to Connect.

Sunday, Del Mar
RUNHAPPY DEL MAR FUTURITY-GI, $302,000, Del Mar, 9-11, 2yo, 7f, 1:20.99 (NSR), ft.
1–CAVE ROCK, 120, 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
'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($210,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $550,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Michael E Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman; B-Anne & Ronnie Sheffer Racing LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J Hernandez. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $228,000. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: First SW this cross. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Havnameltdown, 123, c, 2, Uncaptured–Ashley's Babe, by Put It Back. 1ST G1 BLACK-TYPE. ($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. $60,000.
3–Skinner, 118, c, 2, Curlin–Winding Way, by Malibu Moon. 1ST BLACK-TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK-TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK-TYPE. ($40,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $510,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-C R K Stable LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-John A Shirreffs. $36,000.
Margins: 5 1/4, 4 1/4, 1. Odds: 0.40, 6.50, 13.50.
Also Ran: Newgate, The Big Wam, Mixto, Classical Cat, Agency, Pop d'Oro. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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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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