By Alan Carasso
A $350,000 Keeneland September yearling, Authentic (Into Mischief) is the latest to make the races from his dam, the Mr. Greeley mare Flawless. The May foal was anything but that in Saturday's GIII Sham S. at Santa Anita, but raw ability saw him run up the score to the tune of 7 3/4 very green-but-good lengths as the 6-5 favorite. His well-backed stablemate Azul Coast (Super Saver) finished best of the rest in the one-mile test, which offered points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby on a 10-4-2-1 scale.
The victory was the sixth in the 20-year history of the race for trainer Bob Baffert and second in three years following on the victory of 'TDN Rising Star' McKinzie (Street Sense) in 2018 and fourth in the last seven years. Empire Maker (Unbridled) was beaten as the 2-5 chalk in the third running of the Sham in 2003 before going on to take that year's GI Belmont S.
Firming on the tote from 8-5 in the final few minutes leading up to post time, Authentic jumped alertly from the inside stall and made the running from a bit off the rail beneath Drayden Van Dyke. Settled well enough turning up the backstretch after a quarter in :23.87, he raced a touch keenly as the half was up in a manageable :47.94. Nursed along on the turn, he was asked for a full sprint leaving the quarter pole and quickly opened a winning margin. Things got a bit dicey from there, as he veered in sharply and nearly hit the fence at the eighth pole and got home like a drunken sailor, but had the race in safe keeping and was difficult to pull up. Azul Coast, last of the sextet into the first turn, came on to complete the exacta ahead of longshot Zimba Warrior (Khozan) in third.
“When I ran him the first time down at Del Mar, he was a little bit green that day, because I was debating whether or not to put blinkers on him,” said Baffert. “I didn't, but he may need something to keep him a bit more focused. He is just growing into himself, he's like a gazelle…He's all legs. Today, he wasn't blowing hard after the race and didn't take a deep breath, so that is a good sign.”
Authentic had one previous racetrack appearance to his credit, a 1 1/2-length debut score going 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar Nov. 9 in which he was away slowly, recovered to attend the pace and was doing his best running through the line before galloping out a ton.
Pedigree Notes:
Authentic was the second new black-type winner on the afternoon for Into Mischief, who was also responsible for Glitter Woman S. victress Sound Machine, and he is the stallion's 26th graded stakes winner. From the family of GISW Seventh Street (Street Cry {Ire}) and Dubai legend Reynaldothewizard (Speightstown), Authentic is related to the now 2-year-old colt Mint (Bodemeister) and a yearling colt already named Push Button (Bodemeister). His dam was most recently bred to Mastery. Authentic's part-owner S F Bloodstock is also the breeder of the runner-up.
Saturday, Santa Anita
SHAM S.-GIII, $100,500, Santa Anita, 1-4, 3yo, 1m, 1:37.57, ft.
1–AUTHENTIC, 120, c, 3, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Flawless, by Mr. Greeley
2nd Dam: Oyster Baby, by Wild Again
3rd Dam: Really Fancy, by In Reality
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($350,000
Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket
Stables LLC, Frederick Hertrich, III, John D. Fielding & Golconda
Stables; B-Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Bob
Baffert; J-Drayden Van Dyke. $60,000. Lifetime Record:
2-2-0-0, $91,200. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus* Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Azul Coast, 120, c, 3, Super Saver–Sky Treasure, by Sky Mesa.
($150,000 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $320,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Karl
Watson, Michael E. Pegram & Paul Weitman; B-SF Bloodstock
LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $20,000.
3–Zimba Warrior, 120, c, 3, Khozan–Slick and True, by Yes It's
True. ($62,000 2yo '19 OBSMAR). O-Charles K. & Cynthia F.
Marquis; B-Stonehedge LLC (FL); T-J. Keith Desormeaux.
$12,000.
Margins: 7 3/4, 1HF, 3/4. Odds: 1.20, 2.20, 33.80.
Also Ran: Taishan, Scoring, Uncaptured Hero.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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