Baffert Nominates Four For Capote Stakes, Two For Los Alamitos Special

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert nominated four 2-year-olds to the $75,000-guaranteed Capote Stakes.

Named in honor of the champion 2-year-old of 1986, the Capote is scheduled to be run at 6 ½ furlongs at Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 18.

Baffert also nominated a pair to the $100,000 Los Alamitos Special, a race at 1 1/16 miles set for Sunday, Sept. 19.

Topping the list of nominees for Baffert to the Capote is Murray, an impressive first-out winner before disappointing as the favorite in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., Sept. 6.

A $300,000 purchase at the Keeneland September sale last year and owned by a partnership that includes SF Racing LLC and Starlight Racing, Murray broke his maiden by 10 ¾ lengths July 25 before finishing fifth of six in the Futurity. The son of Street Sense and the Tiznow mare Now Now has banked $48,000.

Baffert also nominated Montebello, a New York-bred son of Curlin who won narrowly in his debut Aug. 7 at Del Mar before finishing second in the Funny Cide at Saratoga 20 days later, and the maidens Rhetoric and Enbarr.

The other nominees include Los Alamitos graduates Olympic Legend and Richards the Dream and Fascinated, who won at first asking – via disqualification – on the Golden Gate Fields turf Sept. 4.

Baffert, who won the inaugural Los Alamitos Special – when it was contested at 1 ¼ miles – with Dabster in 2018, nominated Leading Score and Magic On Tap this year.

A lightly-raced 7-year-old, Leading Score owns a victory at Los Alamitos, capturing an optional claimer at one mile during the 2017 Los Angeles County Fair meet.

Owned by breeders Patti and Hal Earnhardt III, the son of Midnight Lute has won three of 10 and earned $141,810.

Magic On Tap will be shortening up for breeder Summer Wind Equine LLC after trailing in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at 10 furlongs last month. The 5-year-old Tapit horse has won three of eight and banked $234,300.

The other nominations to the Los Alamitos Special are Bold Endeavor, Border Town, Luvluv, Manhattan Up, Margot's Boy, Red Storm Risen, and Sash.

Entries for the Capote will be taken Wednesday, Sept. 18 and for the Los Alamitos Special the following day.

The post Baffert Nominates Four For Capote Stakes, Two For Los Alamitos Special appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Saturday Insights: Loaded Maiden Kicks Off Alabama Day Card

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency
1st-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, post time: 1:05 p.m. ET
While the GI Alabama S. takes centerstage later on in the program, the Saturday lid-lifter at Saratoga looks a key race in prospect, with any number of booming pedigrees and lofty pricetags on display. Peter Leidel signed the ticket at an even $1 million for RAYMOND (Into Mischief) at Keeneland September last fall, with the colt's breeder Stonestreet Stables staying in for a share. The Apr. 21 foal is the third foal to the races from Stonestreet's GSW & GISP Teen Pauline (Tapit), whose daughter Cambria (Speightstown) took out the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Turf Sprint in 2019. Robert Clay's Grandview went to $600,000 for Gilded Age (Medaglia d'Oro) at KEESEP, a son of Grade I-winning juvenile filly Angela Renee (Bernardini), who was purchased by Don Alberto Corp. at Fasig-Tipton November in 2015. The full-sister to MGISW sire To Honor and Serve and half to SW & GISP is from the  family of MGSW India (Hennessy), dam of Japanese dual-surface G1SW Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}) and of Silver Strand (Frosted), an impressive Saratoga debut winner Aug. 19. Peter Brant's Triple Elvis (Into Mischief), a $700,000 purchase by Demi O'Byrne out of last year's Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase, is a half-brother to multiple Grade III-winning turf router Made You Look (More Than Ready) and counts the irrepressible 11-time Grade I and Eclipse Award winner Serena's Song (Rahy) as his second dam. The supporting cast includes WinStar Farm & Siena Farm's Napa Valley (Flatter), whose cleverly named dam Mandrell (Dubawi {Ire}) is adaughter of MGISW Country Star (Empire Maker); Jay Em Ess homebred Union Lights (Union Rags), a half-brother to dual Grade I winner By The Moon (Indian Charlie) and GSP Wonderful Light (Tiz Wonderful); and $420,000 KEESEP grad Major General (Constitution). TJCIS PPs

Another 'Mischief'ous Colt Down to Debut…

7th-SAR, $100,000, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, post time: 3:55 p.m. ET
The second division of the maiden lacks perhaps some of the depth of the first, but MY PRANKSTER (Into Mischief) will be well-backed to open his account at first asking. Purchased by Robert and Lawana Low for $600,000 at Fasig-Tipton last September, the bay is the second to the races for his dam My Wandy's Girl (Flower Alley), a champion in Puerto Rico who won was third in the GI Gazelle S. once repatriated and added the GII Barbara Fritchie H. the following season. My Wandy's Girl is a half to the dam of MSW/MGSP Sagauro Row (Union Rags). Triumphant Road (Quality Road) is out of California MGSW turf distaffer Foxysox (GB) (Foxhound), the dam of MSW Curlin's Fox (Curlin). A $310,000 short yearling at KEEJAN in 2020, the dark bay fetched $475,000 at OBS March after breezing in :10 1/5. Reserve Currency (American Freedom) cost $40,000 at FTKSEL last year, but was hammered down to Klaravich Stables for $375,000 at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic in May (breeze), the second most-expensive of 38 of his sire's first-crop juveniles reported as sold this year. TJCIS PPs

Best Looking For Some Headline News at Ellis…

5th-ELP, $51K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, post time: 3:42 p.m. ET
PAGE ONE (Practical Joke) cost Larry Best's OXO Equine $260,000 at KEENOV in 2019, a price which ranks as the second-priciest among the 35 of his sire (by Into Mischief)'s first-crop weanlings sold that year. The Elm Tree Farm-bred colt is out of the stakes-placed Bailzee (Grand Slam) and is a half-brother to the promising Witsel (Nyquist), a debut winner by 13 1/4 lengths over the winter at Tampa and narrow runner-up to 'TDN Rising Star' Beau Liam (Liam's Map) in a stakes-quality first-level allowance at Saratoga July 17. TJCIS PPs

Baffert Debuts Well-Bred Quality Road Pair…

4th-DMR, $70K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, post time: 6:34 p.m. ET
RHETORIC, a $600,000 KEESEP acquisition, makes his first trip to the races for SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables et al, and is the first produce to race from Hard Not To Like (Hard Spun), winner of the grassy GI Diana S. at Saratoga and the GI Gamely S. on this circuit, who twice realized seven-figure prices when offered at KEENOV–$1.5 million in 2014 and $2.2 million the following year. Hard Not To Like is a half-sister to Credit River (More Than Ready), who belied odds of 41-1 to break his maiden at first asking in the Ontario Racing S. at Woodbine last September. Baoma Corp. paid $400,000 for Kamui at KEENOV in 2019 and attempted to pinhook the colt at KEESEP the following year, only to take him home when bidding stalled out at $875,000. The bay is out of a half-sister to MGSW Tequilita (Union Rags) and hails from the female family of Offlee Wild and Dynaformer. TJCIS PPs

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