Collected holds off Arrogate in $1 million Pacific Classic

Associated PressAug 20, 2017, 1:54 PM EDT

DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) Collected beat 3-5 favorite Arrogate by a half-length in the $1 million Pacific Classic on Saturday, giving Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert a 1-2 finish at Del Mar.

Ridden by Martin Garcia, Collected ran 1 1/4 miles for the first time in 2:00.70 at the seaside track north of San Diego. He paid $8, $2.80 and $2.20 as the 3-1 second choice.

The 4-year-old chestnut colt held off the furious late rush of Arrogate, the richest thoroughbred in racing history who was trying to bounce back from a stunning fourth-place finish in the San Diego Handicap last month on the same track. That defeat snapped Arrogate’s seven-race winning streak.

“It was just a mistake to run him in the San Diego,” Baffert said. “I was so eager, like everybody else, to watch him run again.”

Arrogate returned $2.60 and $2.10 as the overwhelming 3-5 favorite. He has seven wins in 10 career starts and earnings of over $17 million.

Accelerate, who beat Arrogate by 15 1/4 lengths in the San Diego, was another 3 3/4 lengths back in third. He paid $2.20.

Baffert earned his fifth Pacific Classic victory, one behind the late Bobby Frankel. He watched the race on the big video board in the paddock rather than in the stands and stared at the screen with arms folded when Arrogate came up short yet again.

“He ran a good race, but we expect to see something else,” Baffert said.

Collected led all the way, while Accelerate chased him in second and Arrogate stalked them both in the third spot.

Coming down the stretch, Arrogate rallied hard with Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith furiously working his whip on both sides.

“Better than the last one, but it’s not good enough,” Smith said. “He’s not running his A race. I’m not even sure he’s running his B race, to be honest with you, and he’s still only getting beat a little bit.”

Collected became the first 4-year-old to win since Richard’s Kid in 2009. The colt is 4-0 this year.

Curlin Road, co-owned by Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson, finished fourth in the seven-horse field. Hard Aces was fifth, followed by Royal Albert Hall and Donworth, who was second in the San Diego.

In other stakes:

– Hunt found a hole on the rail and rallied to win the $250,000 Del Mar Handicap by 3 1/4 lengths to earn a berth in the BC Turf in November. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Ireland-bred Hunt ran 1 3/8 miles on turf in 2:14.93 and paid $8.80 to win at 3-1 odds. Itsinthepost, the 5-2 favorite, was second. Flamboyant was another head back in third.

Forte works out, waits for Belmont Stakes clearance

Associated PressMay 27, 2023, 3:14 PM EDT

Matt Stone/USA TODAY NETWORK

NEW YORK — Forte, the early Kentucky Derby favorite who was scratched on the day of the race, worked out in preparation for a possible start in the Belmont Stakes on June 10.

Under regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr., Forte worked five-eighths of a mile for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. It was the colt’s second workout since being scratched from the Derby on May 6.

“It seems like he’s maintained his fitness level,” Pletcher said. “It seems like everything is in good order.”

Forte was placed on a mandatory 14-day veterinary list after being scratched from the Derby because of a bruised right front foot. In order to be removed from the list, the colt had to work in front of a state veterinarian and give a blood sample afterward, the results of which take five days.

“There’s protocols in place and we had to adhere to those and we’re happy that everything went smoothly,” Pletcher said. “We felt confident the horse was in good order or we wouldn’t have been out there twice in the last six days, but you still want to make sure everything went smoothly and we’re happy everything did go well.”

Pletcher said Kingsbarns, who finished 14th in the Kentucky Derby, will miss the Belmont. The colt is showing signs of colic, although he is fine, the trainer said.

Another Pletcher-trained horse, Prove Worthy, is under consideration for the Belmont. He also has Tapit Trice, who finished seventh in the Derby, being pointed toward the Belmont.

Judge grants Churchill Downs’ request for summary judgment to dismiss Bob Baffert’s lawsuit

Associated PressMay 25, 2023, 9:36 PM EDT

Abbey Cutrer/USA TODAY NETWORK

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A federal judge has granted Churchill Downs’ motion for summary judgment that dismisses Bob Baffert’s claim the track breached due process by suspending the Hall of Fame trainer for two years.

Churchill Downs Inc. suspended Baffert in June 2021 after his now-deceased colt, Medina Spirit, failed a postrace drug test after crossing the finish line first in the 147th Kentucky Derby. The trainer’s request to lift the discipline was denied in February, keeping him out of the Derby for a second consecutive May.

U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings ruled in a 12-page opinion issued Wednesday that Churchill Downs’ suspension of Baffert did not devalue his Kentucky trainer’s license. It cited his purse winnings exceeding $1 million at Keeneland in Lexington and stated that his argument “amounts to a false analogy that distorts caselaw.”

Jennings denied CDI’s motion to stay discovery as moot.

The decision comes less than a week after Baffert-trained colt National Treasure won the Preakness in his first Triple Crown race in two years. His record eighth win in the second jewel of the Triple Crown came hours after another of his horses, Havnameltdown, was euthanized following an injury at Pimlico.

Churchill Downs said in a statement that it was pleased with the court’s favorable ruling as in Baffert’s other cases.

It added, “While he may choose to file baseless appeals, this completes the seemingly endless, arduous and unnecessary litigation proceedings instigated by Mr. Baffert.”

Baffert’s suspension is scheduled to end on June 2, but the track’s release noted its right to extend it “and will communicate our decision” at its conclusion.