Looking to collect his second graded stakes win of the season, Havnameltdown proved he was up to the task with a professional score over stablemate Newgate in Sunday's GIII Bob Hope S. at Del Mar. One of three Baffert trainees in the short five-horse field, Havnameltdown and Hard to Figure (Hard Spun), breaking from the inside two gates, broke cleanly while Practical Move, exiting stall 6, was pinched back as the converging Newgate and Mixto (Good Magic) made their exit. The overly headstrong Hard to Figure proved hard to handle racing out of the chute as Havnameltdown, Practical Move and Newgate all pressed the issue four abreast through a quarter in :22.23. Taking charge heading into the far turn, the favorite carved out a half in :44.36 as the early pacesetter retreated leaving Practical Move and Newgate the only rivals in contention. A length and a half on top turning for home, Havnameltdown continued on with purpose late as Newgate loomed, however, the favorite proved best on the day to score by 1 1/4 lengths at the wire. Practical Move finished a clear third.
“He broke nice and easy today,” explained winning rider Juan Hernandez. “Before in his races, he was sling-shotting out of there. Today, he was more professional. Our other horse [trainer Baffert's Hard to Figure] inside of us on the rail was trying to get out into us, but my horse took it well. He's learning how to run. After we cleared that other horse, I had a nice trip from there.”
Marking his debut at last July going five panels at Del Mar, the Florida bred made it two straight with a score in the GIII Best Pal S. at the seaside oval Aug. 14. Stepping into top-level competition for his latest, he finished 5 1/4 lengths behind subsequent Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up Cave Rock (Arrogate) in the GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity Sept. 11.
Pedigree Notes:
Former Ocala Stud stallion Uncaptured–relocated to South Korea for the 2020 breeding season–is the sire of Havnameltdown and other 2022 graded winners Yes I Am Free, Willy Boi, and Lightening Larry, as well as two other graded winners. Of Uncaptured's 11 black-type winners total, two–Havnameltdown and additional graded winner Two Sixty–are out of Put It Back mares. The late Put It Back, an Honour and Glory/Relaunch stallion, also originally stood in Florida before his export to Argentina and has 30 stakes winners out of his daughters.
Havnameltdown and Two Sixty have another tie, as they are out of full-sisters. Two Sixty was bought by Stonestreet at last year's Keeneland November sale for $440,000 while in foal to Constitution and had a colt Jan. 23. Havnameltdown's dam, Ashley's Babe, has a yearling colt by Tapiture, who was a $4,500 RNA at Keeneland January, and was bred to Maximus Mischief for 2023. Her fourth dam, Rose Bowl (Habitat), was a champion in England and an excellent broodmare who produced three stakes winners, while her descendants include Canadian champion Strait of Dover (English Channel) and English highweight Iktamal (Danzig Connection).
Sunday, Del Mar
BOB HOPE S.-GIII, $100,000, Del Mar, 11-20, 2yo, 7f, 1:21.68, ft.
1–HAVNAMELTDOWN, 124, c, 2, by Uncaptured
1st Dam: Ashley's Babe, by Put It Back
2nd Dam: Charms Way, by Salt Lake
3rd Dam: Remember Midnight, by Cure the Blues
($16,000 Ylg '21 OBSOCT; $200,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR).
O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson Paul Weitman; B-Katherine
S Devall (FL); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $60,000.
Lifetime Record: GISP, 4-3-1-0, $288,000. Werk Nick Rating:
A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for
the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Newgate, 120, c, 2, Into Mischief–Majestic Presence, by
Majestic Warrior. 'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST BLACK TYPE,
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($850,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP).
O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert
Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber,
Waves Edge Capital LLC & Catherine Donovan; B-Town &
Country Horse Farms, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $20,000.
3–Practical Move, 120, c, 2, Practical Joke–Ack Naughty, by
Afleet Alex. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($90,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP; $230,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR).
O-Pierre Jean Amestoy, Jr., Leslie A. Amestoy & Roger K.
Beasley; B-Chad Brown & Head of Plains Partners (KY);
T-Tim Yakteen. $12,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 2HF, 4 1/4. Odds: 0.90, 1.40, 9.30.
Also Ran: Mixto, Hard to Figure. Scratched: Giver Not a Taker, Lloyds Logic.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG
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