In a battle of Bob Baffert-trained TDN Rising Stars, second choice Prince of Monaco (Speightstown) got the better of his more fancied stablemate, 1-2 choice Muth (Good Magic), to take Sunday's GIII Best Pal S. at Del Mar. The victory represented the 10th Best Pal score for the Hall of Famer.
Prince of Monaco, a $950,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling purchase, was content to linger near the back early as first Tranche (Collected) and then Muth led through opening fractions of :21.76 and :44.76. Closing strongly on the front rank passing the three-eighths pole, the 9-5 chance caught his stablemate–who had finally dispatched of the pesky Tranche–straightening for home. With Muth making a race out of it briefly, Prince of Monaco drew clear to score by a geared-down 4 1/4-length winner. Raging Torrent crossed the wire a clear third.
Baffert explained, “[Prat] rode [Baffert-trained Elegant, who tired to finish fifth in race 3 after showing speed) really fast and I said, 'That's okay, just don't do that on this one.'
“We knew [Tranche] was really quick and I was hoping Muth would lay off the pace but he just engaged early. [Flavien] Prat saw what was going on and he took back. I like the way the horse responded and [Prince of Monaco] had a good post for it. You put good riders on good horses, but it was really key that [Prat] rode that filly for me in the third race.”
Prat added, “[Bob Baffert] called me and asked me to come out and ride a horse for him and so here I am,” said Prat. “He was very comfortable out there; felt good all the way. I saw the pace was hot and I just waited my turn. He's a nice colt. And yes, I think he can run farther.”
Prince of Monaco, who kicked off his career at Los Alamitos July 9, was a beat slow at the start but that didn't stop him from rolling home a front-running eight-length winner, earning TDN Rising stardom in the process. Since that eye-catching unveiling, the dark bay has been showing plenty of zip in the morning, culminating with a sharp five-furlong work in :59 2/5 (6/74) at Del Mar Aug. 5.
Pedigree Notes:
Prince of Monaco becomes the 138th black-type winner and 65th graded winner for sire Speightstown. Out of unraced Rainier, the Mar. 26 foal is a grandson of MSW Clay's Rocket (American Chance), a half-sister to GI Frizette winner Adieu (El Corredor). His 7-year-old dam is also responsible for a Munnings filly from last year followed by a Constitution filly this term. She was bred back to Speightstown.
Sunday, Del Mar
BEST PAL S.-GIII, $200,000, Del Mar, 8-13, 2yo, 6f, 1:09.19, ft.
1–PRINCE OF MONACO, 118, c, 2, by Speightstown
      1st Dam: Rainier, by Medaglia d'Oro
      2nd Dam: Clay's Rocket, by American Chance
      3rd Dam: Irene's Talkin, by At the Threshold
'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES
WIN. ($950,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight
Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne
Bashor, Robert E. Masterson, Waves Edge Capital LLC,
Catherine Donovan and Tom Ryan; B-Stonestreet
Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien Prat.
$120,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $147,000. Werk Nick
Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Muth, 120, c, 2, Good Magic–Hoppa, by Uncle Mo.
'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($190,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $2,000,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR).
O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY);
T-Bob Baffert. $40,000.
3–Raging Torrent, 120, c, 2, Maximus Mischief–Violent Wave,
by Violence. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($27,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP; $75,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR).
O-Great Friends Stables, LLC and Mark Davis; B-Rodney J.
Winkler & Alfonso Mazzetti (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $24,000.
Margins: 4 1/4, 4HF, 15 1/4. Odds: 1.80, 0.50, 8.20.
Also Ran: Tranche, Who Is Pavel.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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