Unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Cave Rock (Arrogate) led home a one-two-three-four finish for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita. It was the 11th winner for Baffert in the race named in honor of his 2015 Triple Crown winner.
The eye-catching last-out GI Del Mar Futurity winner, off as the 2-5 favorite here, went straight to the front in this two-turn debut, led comfortably through fractions of :22.96 and :46.82 and seemed to play possum a bit on the turn. With a shake of the reins as they straightened, he opened up again when called upon by jockey Juan Hernandez and poured it on in the lane to score by 5 1/4 lengths.
Del Mar debut winner National Treasure (Quality Road), $3.55-million EASMAY topper and maiden Hejazi (Bernardini) and Los Al debut winner Gandolfini (Justify) followed home their stablemate in that order.
Cave Rock entered off a pair of flashy Del Mar wins, scoring on debut by six lengths Aug. 13 and added the Del Mar Futurity by 5 1/4 lengths last time Sept. 11.
Longtime Baffert clients and winning owners Michael Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman also campaign unbeaten Speed Boat Beach (Bayern), who punched his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint via Santa Anita's Speakeasy S.
“I can't remember running one, two, three, four, ever,” Baffert said. “The really good ones come around quicky and he's always been different, he's built a bit different than Arrogate. He's powerful, stronger and he's quick. He runs with his head sort of low like Arrogate. He just keeps improving, he trains easily. I really don't work him too fast, you have to count on their talent to get them there.
Baffert continued, “Today, those were some good horses behind him. Those colts, you are going to hear about them down the road. Right now, he's what you need, he's something that is right now and something that will be in for the next thirty days.”
Pedigree Notes:
Cave Rock, a $210,000 KEENOV weanling and $550,000 KEESEP yearling, is one of three graded winners–all Grade I winners–and the sixth black-type winner overall for the much-missed Arrogate. Like Arrogate's GII Chandelier S. heroine And Tell Me Nolies, Cave Rock was prepared for his first trip through the sales ring by Mulholland Springs, and like the Chandelier victress, the colt also hails from a Danzig-line dam. 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. Georgie's Angel brought $75,000 from Longford Farm at the 2020 KEENOV sale.
Saturday, Santa Anita
AMERICAN PHAROAH S.-GI, $301,500, Santa Anita, 10-8, 2yo,
1 1/16m, 1:43.05, ft.
1–CAVE ROCK, 122, 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' ($210,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $550,000 Ylg '21
KEESEP). O-Michael Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman;
B-Anne and Ronnie Sheffer Racing LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert;
J-Juan J. Hernandez. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0,
$408,000. Click for Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating:
A++.
2–National Treasure, 122, c, 2, Quality Road–Treasure, by
Medaglia d'Oro. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE,
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($500,000 Ylg '21 FTSAUG). O-SF Racing
LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Masterson, Robert
E., Stonestreet Stables LLC, Schoenfarber, Jay A., Waves Edge
Capital LLC and Donovan, Catherine; B-Peter E. Blum
Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $60,000.
3–Hejazi, 122, c, 2, Bernardini–G Note, by Medaglia d'Oro.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK
TYPE. ($3,550,000 2yo '22 EASMAY). O-Zedan Racing Stables,
Inc.; B-Chester Broman & Mary R. Broman (NY); T-Bob Baffert.
$36,000.
Margins: 5 1/4, 3HF, 3 1/4. Odds: 0.40, 9.80, 2.90.
Also Ran: Gandolfini, Man Child, Skinner, Macnamara, Odonata.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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