los alamitos derby | Horse Racing Free Tips

Classier Noses Out Defunded In Los Alamitos Derby

Even though several of the country's top 3 year olds call the West Coast home, Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress, Calif. had a challenging time trying to come up with enough starters for Sunday's Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby. With richer stakes elsewhere luring a number of possible entries away, the track postponed the race 24 hours to allow additional time for entries and came up with a field of five, including Bob Baffert trainees Classier and Defunded, who went two-three last time out in the Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Sunday, the Baffert horses improved on that performance, going one-two in the G3 Los Alamitos Derby.

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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Classier Gives Baffert Fifth Straight Los Al Derby

Classier went wire-to-wire and resolutely held off stablemate Defunded to give trainer Bob Baffert his fifth straight win in the GIII Los Alamitos Derby Sunday. Sent off at 6-5, Classier was on the lead through fractions of :22.98 and :47.01. Defunded, the 3-5 favorite, rolled up to challenge the pacesetter after three-quarters in 1:11.08 and, while Classier began inching away in upper stretch, the favorite battled back in a stirring stretch battle to the wire. Classier refused to yield and earned his first graded victory in determined fashion.

“I waited until the eighth pole to ask him and when he saw [Defunded] he really dug in,” winning rider Mike Smith said. “This is a big colt with a lot to him and he is going to get even better.”

Baffert added, “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.

Classier went wire-to-wire to win his 6 1/2-furlong debut at Santa Anita last October and was immediately thrown into the deep end where he finished a well-beaten eighth in the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. After a stumbling start, he finished third behind The Chosen Vron (Vronsky) and Defunded while making his return to the races in the June 13 GIII Affirmed S. last time out.

Classier earned his start in Sunday's Los Al Derby with a half-mile work in :47 1/5 at Santa Anita last Thursday.

“I wasn't going to run [Classier] in this race,” Baffert admitted. “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, so we decided to go. We thought he'd be on the lead last time, but he stumbled leaving the gate and he really needed the race. 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.”

Pedigree Notes:

Breeder Mary Sullivan purchased Class Will Tell for $300,000 at the 2013 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The mare, a half-sister to the dam of multiple Group 1 placed Homerique (Exchange Rate), has a yearling filly by Union Rags and produced a colt by More Than Ready this year.

Classier's second dam, Conchita, produced a filly by Hard Spun last year and a filly by Ghostzapper this year. The Hard Spun filly sold for $210,000 to Determined Stud at last year's Keeneland November sale.

The winner's third dam, Desert Gold, produced Group 1 winner White Moonstone (Dynaformer).

Classier is the 36th graded stakes winner for Empire Maker and the 31st graded winner out of a Bernardini mare, but the Los Al Derby winner is the first graded winner by the late GI Belmont S. winner out of a mare by Bernardini.

Sunday, Los Alamitos
LOS ALAMITOS DERBY-GIII, $150,000, Los Alamitos, 7-4, 3yo,
1 1/8m, 1:49.15, ft.
1–CLASSIER, 122, c, 3, by Empire Maker
                1st Dam: Class Will Tell, by Bernardini
                2nd Dam: Conchita, by Cozzene
                3rd Dam: Desert Gold, by Seeking the Gold
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN.
'TDN Rising Star'. ($775,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC,
Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Golconda Stables, Siena
Farm LLC & Robert E. Masterson; B-Mary A Sullivan (KY); T-Bob
Baffert; J-Mike E. Smith. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-1,
$155,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Defunded, 122, g, 3, Dialed In–Wind Caper, by Touch Gold.
($210,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson,
& Paul Weitman; B-Athens Woods LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert.
$30,000.
3–Ingest, 122, g, 3, Square Eddie–Octogarian, by Rock Hard
Ten. O-Grant Alvernaz & Steve Ribeiro; B-Reddam Racing, LLC
(CA); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $18,000.
Margins: NO, 14, HF. Odds: 1.30, 0.60, 11.30.
Also Ran: It's My House, Back Ring Luck.
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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Baffert Duo Top Los Al Derby

Bob Baffert has two strong chances to take his fifth straight edition of the GIII Los Alamitos Derby Sunday. The race was originally scheduled for Saturday, but was brought back as an extra Sunday when it failed to fill the first time.

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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Field Of Five Sophomores Go Forward For Sunday’s Los Alamitos Derby

Runner-up behind the talented California bred The Chosen Vron in the Affirmed June 13, Defunded will try for his first stakes success in the $150,000-guaranteed Los Alamitos Derby Sunday.

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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