Tiz’ It Baffert’s Year?
Updated: July 21, 2015 at 3:05 pm
It’s hard to believe that there is any graded event in California that Hall of Famer Bob Baffert has not won, but the GI Santa Margarita S. has managed to elude him. The conditioner seeks his first win in that 1 1/8-mile event at Santa Anita today with Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman’s Tiz Midnight (Midnight Lute).
Earning her diploma over this strip last summer, the bay reeled off two more wins in Del Mar optional claimers before being dropped into the deep end in the GI Zenyatta S. here Sept. 27, where she finished a very respectable second to champion Beholder (Henny Hughes). Sixth to champion Untapable (Tapit) in the track-and-trip GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff Oct. 31, Tiz Midnight garnered her first black-type success next out at Los Alamitos in the GII Bayakoa S. Dec. 6. The 5-year-old failed to factor in her seasonable bow in this venue’s Paseana S. Jan. 11, where she finished sixth as the favorite behind Warren’s Veneda (Affirmative) going 1 1/16 miles over a wet/fast surface.
Fellow Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, who won this race last year with Let Faith Arise (Kafwain), looks to capture his second consecutive renewal with Thegirlinthatsong (My Golden Song), owned by Hollendorfer in partnership with D. Gatto, S. Melen, P. and T. Russo and S. Taub. Second to ‘TDN Rising Star’ Cassatt (Tapit) in the Zia Park Oaks Nov. 26, the dark bay captured her 4-year-old debut in the GII La Canada S. going 1 1/16 miles over this strip Jan. 17 and was third last time behind Warren’s Veneda and Uzziel (Harlington) in this venue’s GII Santa Maria S., run at that same distance, last time Feb. 14.
Fox Hill Farms’s GIII Monmouth Oaks heroine Cassatt followed her victory in the Zia Park Oaks with a 5 3/4-length romp in the Tiffany Lass S. at the Fair Grounds Dec. 21. The Larry Jones trainee kicked off this season with another victory in the 1 1/16-mile Houston Ladies Classic Jan. 24.
Fellow ‘TDN Rising Star’ Dame Dorothy (Bernardini) seeks her first victory at the highest level for owner Bobby Flay and trainer Todd Pletcher. Victorious in her first four starts, which included Belmont’s GIII Turnback the Alarm H. Oct. 26, the bay lost her perfect record when finishing third in Aqueduct’s GIII Comely S. Nov. 29. The 4-year-old returned to her winning ways last time with a win in Gulfstream’s seven-furlong Sunshine Millions Distaff Jan. 17.