Desert Gate on Cruise Control under Juan Hernandez. (Benoit photo)
From the Mar Press
Del Mar, Calif. – Pegram, Watson and Weitman’s Desert gateThe 1/5 favorite in a field of five 2-year-olds, broke well, volleyed for the lead to the piece and then simply pulled far away at the finish of the $ 150,000 Best Pal Stakes on Saturday in Del Mar.
The Colt of Omaha Beach, a purchase of $ 260,000 from a 2-year-old in-training sale in Florida last March, ran the six furlongs in 1: 10.37 and only rode with eight and three-quarters of lengths in the degree III function. He was treated by the leading rider of De Ontmoeting, Juan Hernandez, and gave trainer Bob Baffert his 12th victory in the 55th edition of the youth offer.
“This horse is usually quite quiet. But today he was on it. He felt good in the paddock. He got away well there and he ran comfortably completely,” Hernandez said. “He wanted to go on the three-eight (pole), but I let him wait. Then we left in the play and he was the best.”
Desert Gate returned $ 2.40 for $ 2 to his backers in the meeting of the weekend. He paid the minimum $ 2.10 to place and no show betting was allowed in the short field.
Secondly, ending in the dashboard was Racing’s HomeBred Pavlovian, who has a length in third place Finisher Brigante, owned by and bred by Calumet Farm.
“It is nice to see that these horses are developing like this. He has been quite quiet here, but he has broken well and that is the most important part of these 2-year-old races is that they will come out clean,” said Baffert. “This horse has been very professional since the first day. It’s nice to have these horses. That’s what we are for. We just have to keep it healthy and healthy.”
In his racing debut in June in Santa Anita, Desert Gate had scored against Straight Maidens by two and a quarter lengths in his racing debut. The chestnut earned a first prize of $ 90,000 for his efforts by Del Mar and now shows a win of $ 126,000.
Groups were a Zippy opener of: 22.26,: 45.31 ,: 57.78 with a recent period of 1: 10.37.
The commitment was the fourth of the meeting for rider Hernandez and his third in the best friend. He and trainer Baffert won last year’s running with a weight. Hernandez now has 56 Stakes victories in Del Mar.
The winning owners are Mike Pegram from Del Mar, California with Karl Watson and Paul Weitman from Tucson, Arizona.
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