It's been an up-and-down stretch of late for the Bob Baffert barn, but the classy 'TDN Rising Star' McKinzie finished the week on a high note for the Hall of Famer. Making his first start since an 11th-place finish in the G1 Saudi Cup Feb. 29, and first over track and trip since he romped in the 2018 GI Malibu S., the bay settled in widest and last of a compact field as stablemate Ax Man (Misremembered) showed the way. Given his cue to inch closer into a :46.13 half, the heavy chalk wore down stubborn Fashionably Fast by midstretch and required only hands-and-heels encouragement from there to lengthen his advantage.
“The wonderful thing about McKinzie is he had me in the game early and I mean he was ready to pounce at all times,” said pilot Mike Smith, who had ridden McKinzie in his first 13 starts. “He is not only extremely talented, he's a thinker too and I just love riding him… He will be a different horse, sometimes he'll be close to the lead, next time he may be way back, so you're always trying to figure him out… He's one of those throwback champions. They could run five eighths of a mile or a mile and a quarter. He just seems to be able to do it all. It is just amazing some horses can do something like that.”
A 5 1/2-length debut winner in his only other attempt at seven panels, McKinzie racked up Grade I scores at two, three and four after shipping East to take Saratoga's GI Whitney H. last August. He was second in both the local nine-furlong GI Awesome Again S. Sept. 28 and GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 2 before running in the first renewal of the world's richest race.
“This was a perfect out for him,” said Baffert “He had a cozy post and he showed his class. It was workmanlike and this'll really move him up for next time. Yes, this was a prep for the [July 4 GI Runhappy Met Mile at Belmont]… We're happy he's back after that fiasco [in Saudi Arabia]. He's been looking really good training and in all of his works. It's great to have him back.”
Baffert took Saturday's GI Hollywood Gold Cup with Improbable (City Zip) on the same day it was revealed that his leading GI Kentucky Derby contender Charlatan (Speightstown) would be forced to miss at least the Belmont with an ankle injury–his other top 3-year-old Nadal (Blame) was retired last week.
Sunday, Santa Anita
TRIPLE BEND S.-GII, $200,000, Santa Anita, 6-7, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:22.56, ft.
1–MCKINZIE, 124, h, 5, by Street Sense
1st Dam: Runway Model (MGSW & MGISP, $725,598),
by Petionville
2nd Dam: Ticket to Houston, by Houston
3rd Dam: Stave, by Navajo
'TDN Rising Star' ($170,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Karl Watson,
Mike Pegram & Paul Weitman, Paul; B-Summer Wind Farm
(KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Mike E. Smith. $120,000. Lifetime
Record: MGISW, 16-8-6-0, $3,438,560. *1/2 to Rompin Reid
(Medaglia d'Oro), SP, $172,945. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Fashionably Fast, 122, g, 5, Lucky Pulpit–Fall Fashion, by
Forestry. O-Harris Farms, Inc., Per Antonsen & John Nicoletti;
B-Harris Farms (CA); T-Dean Pederson. $40,000.
3–Dark Vader, 122, h, 5, Tale of Ekati–Dark Obsession, by
Grand Slam. ($10,000 RNA Ylg '16 FTKJUL; $150,000 2yo '17
OBSMAR). O-S Alesia, Burns Racing LLC, Ciaglia Racing LLC &
R Christensen.; B-Schleprock Racing LLC (OH); T-Peter Eurton.
$24,000.
Margins: 1HF, NK, 1. Odds: 0.50, 10.90, 18.10.
Also Ran: Flagstaff, Ax Man. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Pedigree Notes:
McKinzie's dam, a dual Grade II winner and third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at two, was second in the GI Ashland S. in 2005 and sold to Summer Wind Farm for $2.7 million in foal to Storm Cat at Keeneland November in 2006. She is a half-sister to SW & MGSP Mambo Train (Kingmambo) and to the separate dams of three other graded stakes winners.
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