For the 18th time, the GI Del Mar Futurity belongs to trainer Bob Baffert. The Hall of Fame trainer sent three horses to post Sunday in Del Mar's Closing Day feature and, while race favorite and 'TDN Rising Star' Getaway Car (Curlin) was the expected winner, it was 7-2 shot Gaming (Game Winner) who stole the spotlight.
He lined up facing not just his own talented stablemates (including the aforementioned favorite along with Citizen Bull {Into Mischief}) but also another gate-to-wire maiden winner in McKinzie Street (McKinzie) for Tim Yakteen. As Getaway Car sought to escape right to the front from the rail, the Flavien Prat-guided colt was patiently handled from the back, evening climbing a bit through the opening furlong as most of the field kicked dirt back at him from against the fence. But in a better rhythm up the backstretch, he began to make nice progress behind a pair of dueling leaders in the race favorite inside of 30-1 longshot Brother Tony (Unified). The top five runners started to stack up into the far turn and Getaway Car let things out a notch, opening up a gap back to his stablemate who was now a closing second past the half in :44.35. As the favorite began to throw in the towel amidst a wall of challengers past the quarter pole, it was Gaming who hit the front and was not for catching, leading McKinzie Street to the line as Citizen Bull just edged out Getaway Car to fill the trifecta.
“He relaxed well; he was a bit on his toes before the race so I kept him quiet,” said Prat. “Very straightforward, and leveled out nice. Bob (trainer Baffert) just told me not to rush him and I thought I was in a good spot on my way around the corner. When he went off to his left lead I jumped on the bridle right away. After that I felt pretty much in control the whole way.”
Jimmy Barnes, assistant to Bob Baffert added: “You're always concerned when you draw the one, two. But (Flavien) Prat, he's smart. He let the other ones go. He let him drop back a little bit, picked a spot up the rail and to the outside and he was on his way. No game plan.”
Pedigree Note:
The first stakes, graded stakes and Grade I winner for freshman sire Game Winner (by Candy Ride {Arg}) who took this race himself en route to Eclipse Award honors, Gaming is out of the Irish stakes-placed mare So Stylish who has produced three winners from five to race. The dam is herself a half-sister to European Champion 2-year-old colt One Cool Cat (Storm Cat) who sold as a yearling for $3.1m to Demi O'Byrne at Keenenland July in 2002. Third dam Savannah Dancer was a Del Mar winner herself, taking the GII Del Mar Oaks before producing SW/MG1SP Sha Tha (Mr. Prospector). This is also the family of MGISW Aragorn (Ire) (Giant's Causeway) who took the GI Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile Stakes at Hollywood Park. So Stylish has this winner's yearling full-brother, reported a colt by Union Rags this year and returned to Game Winner yet again for 2025.
#2 GAMING ($9.80) impresses in the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity (G1)!
Flavien Prat piloted the two-year-old Game Winner (@LanesEndFarms) colt for trainer @BobBaffert. pic.twitter.com/4BVpprAnb9
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) September 9, 2024
Sunday, Del Mar
DEL MAR FUTURITY-GI, $301,000, Del Mar, 9-8, 2yo, 7f, 1:23.02, ft.
1–GAMING, 120, c, 2, by Game Winner
1st Dam: So Stylish (SP-Ire), by Johannesburg
2nd Dam: Tacha, by Mr. Prospector
3rd Dam: Savannah Dancer, by Northern Dancer
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE
I WIN. ($40,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $250,000 2yo '24 OBSMAR).
O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman;
B-Mt. Brilliant Farm & Ranch, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien
Prat. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $225,000.
Werk Nick Rating: A
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–McKinzie Street, 120, c, 2, McKinzie–Karpathos, by Tale of
the Cat. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1
BLACK TYPE. ($120,000 Wlg '22 KEENOV; $150,000 Ylg '23
KEESEP; $290,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-Leslie A. And Pierre
Jean Amestoy, Jr. and Roger K. Beasley; B-Clearsky Farms (KY);
T-Tim Yakteen. $60,000.
3–Citizen Bull, 120, c, 2, Into Mischief–No Joke, by Distorted
Humor. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1
BLACK TYPE. ($675,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC,
Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC,
Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom
Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan;
B-Robert Low & Lawana Low (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $36,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 4, NK. Odds: 3.90, 6.80, 1.30.
Also Ran: Getaway Car, R Heisman, Rank, Brother Tony.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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