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Maximum Security Breezes For San Diego Handicap; Baffert Shops For Rider

In his final work before next Saturday's $150,000 Grade 2 San Diego Handicap, Eclipse Award winner and presumptive race favorite Maximum Security went five furlongs in :59.60 Saturday morning at Del Mar for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and owners Gary and Mary West of Rancho Santa Fe.

It was the second-fastest of 86 works officially timed at the distance. United, nominated to and the likely favorite for next Sunday's $200,000 Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes, went five furlongs in :58.80 for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella and owners LNJ Foxwoods.

Arriving at the north San Diego County track for the 6:30 a.m. session, with exercise rider Juan Ochoa in the irons, Maximum Security spotted workmate Dark Prince several lengths at the start and made up the difference efficiently, finishing just before a fog bank settled to obscure visibility for a while.

“He worked very nice,” Baffert said. “He looks great and I'm very happy with him. He's such a class horse. Now I have to find a jockey because my guy tested positive. That's the next deal.”

Baffert, and the rest of the racing world, learned Friday that jockey Luis Saez, aboard for the son of New Year's Day's last seven starts, had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. Saez was informed of the result after riding the second race at Keeneland. Saez, Martin Garcia and Victor Espinoza had been in close proximity at Los Alamitos and now have all tested positive. Espinoza took off three scheduled mounts here on the opening day card Friday.

Also working Saturday morning for Baffert was Kentucky Derby candidate Authentic. With Ochoa aboard, the son of Into Mischief owned by Spendthrift Farm and Starlight Racing went five furlongs in :59.80, third fastest at the distance, in preparation for shipping to Monmouth Park in New Jersey for next Saturday's $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes.

“He worked well, looks very strong,” Baffert said of the colt who's only blemish in four career starts was a runner-up to Honor A.P. in the Santa Anita Derby. “I am set (for Saturday on two coasts),” Baffert said.

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Espinoza Tests Positive For Coronavirus

Triple Crown-winning jockey Victor Espinoza has tested positive for coronavirus and will be out of action for an undetermined period of time, Daily Racing Form reported late Friday. He is the third rider who competed at Los Alamitos Saturday, July 4, who has tested positive. Jockey Martin Garcia was en route to ride the Indiana Derby program at Indiana Grand Wednesday when he was informed of his positive, while Luis Saez, who was aboard Uncle Chuck in the GIII Los Alamitos Derby, rode two races at Keeneland Friday before his agent Kiaran McLaughlin confirmed the result. In contrast to Garcia and Saez, Espinoza had not traveled anywhere by plane.

DRF reported that Espinoza was tested Thursday with the expectation that the results would be in hand by the 2 p.m. opener of the Del Mar meeting Friday afternoon. Espinoza took off his mounts when the results had not yet been returned. Espinoza’s agent Brian Beach told DRF that Espinoza was able to secure a test Friday from the nearby Scripps hospital, where he rehabbed from serious injuries in 2018. The test was quickly processed and the results came back later in the afternoon, confirming the positive.

Espinoza is a three-time Kentucky Derby winner and piloted American Pharoah to the Triple Crown in 2015.

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Hall Of Famer Espinoza Tests Positive For Coronavirus

Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza has tested positive for coronavirus and will be sidelined for at least 10-days, according to his agent, Brian Beach. Espinoza's positive test was first reported by Daily Racing Form.

Espinoza was named on mounts on Friday's opening day card at Del Mar near San Diego, Calif., but was taken off after he was unable to get results prior to the day's races from a coronavirus test he took earlier in the week in Orange County, north of Del Mar. A subsequent test he took in La Jolla, just south of Del Mar, came back positive Friday afternoon.

Espinoza took the tests after experiencing flu-like symptoms earlier in the week and learning that Martin Garcia, whom Espinoza came into contact with last weekend at Los Alamitos, had tested positive for coronavirus. Garcia, formerly Southern California based, rode at Los Alamitos Friday and Saturday and at Prairie Meadows in Iowa on Sunday. Garcia was tested on Tuesday at the direction of officials at Keeneland prior to that track's five-day meet that began on Wednesday, and the results came back positive.

“Victor is fine,” said Beach. “He was feeling flu-y early in the week and on Wednesday, when he found out Martin tested positive, he said, 'Uh-oh,' and got tested. He's not showing any symptoms now.”

Beach said Espinoza has been extremely careful since the coronavirus pandemic was declared in March. “He moved to his home in Del Mar during the Santa Anita shutdown,” Beach said. “He wanted to do everything he could to avoid exposure to this.”

Beach said his understanding is that Espinoza will be unable to ride in California for a minimum of 10 days from the day of the positive test.

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Luis Saez Tests Positive For Coronavirus At Keeneland, Remains Asymptomatic

Jockey Luis Saez was abruptly removed from mounts early on Friday's race card at Keeneland after he was notified he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to the Daily Racing Form's Matt Hegarty.

Saez remains asymptomatic for COVID-19, and was tested Thursday morning as part of routine monitoring for jockeys competing at the track. He will now be required to enter a minimum 10-day quarantine period, which means he will be unable to ride Maximum Security in his anticipated summer debut in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap next weekend.

Two days ago on July 8, fellow jockey Martin Garcia tested positive for the virus as part of routine testing required to ride at Keeneland. Garcia had been on his way to ride at Indiana Grand when he was informed of his test results.

In the past ten days, Saez has ridden at Keeneland, Indiana Grand, Belmont Park and Los Alamitos. Agent Kiaran McLaughlin told Hegarty the rider had tested negative for the virus when in New York on July 5.