Having upped his record tally to seven thanks to superstar Dortmund (Big Brown) in last year's GI Los Alamitos Futurity, Hall of Famer Bob Baffert is back at it with two representatives in Saturday's renewal. Mor Spirit (Eskendereya), a $650,000 Fasig-Tipton Florida buy for Michael Lund Petersen, finished runner-up on debut at Santa Anita Sept. 27 before handing Urlacher (Discreet Cat) a 4 1/4-length defeat when stretched to a mile in Arcadia Oct. 23. The dark bay earned a solid 92 Beyer Speed Figure for that maiden breaker, and shipped to Churchill Downs for the Nov. 28 GII Kentucky Jockey Club S., where he was backed down to favoritism over GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf runner-up Airoforce (Colonel John), only to settle for second in the slop behind that rival.
Toews On Ice (Archarcharch), meanwhile, enters boasting a three-race win streak. The Pegram, Watson and Weitman representative romped by 7 1/2 lengths to break his maiden third out in this venue's restricted Barretts Juvenile S. Sept. 20, and easily handled Street Vision (Street Sense)–the winner from Mor Spirit's debut–in Santa Anita's Speakeasy S. Oct. 18. Toews On Ice, named for Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, most recently clawed back the victory after being headed in Del Mar's GIII Bob Hope S. Nov. 14.
Bob Hope third I'malreadythere (Crown of Thorns) represents fellow Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, whose recently deceased pupil Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}) sealed championship honors two years ago when he aired in the final running of this event staged at Hollywood Park.
Considering how dominant the Doug O'Neill barn has been with juveniles at the highest level this year, it would be fitting for one of his two representatives to wrap up a memorable season with one more big win. Reddam Racing colorbearer Frank Conversation (Quality Road) has flashed some ability, but is still unproven on the dirt. The bay was far behind 'TDN Rising Star' Justin Squared (Zensational) when eighth in a main track maiden a Del Mar Sept. 5 before donning cap and gown down the hill at Santa Anita Oct. 16. He was most recently third in Del Mar's grassy GIII Cecil B. DeMille S. when stretched to a mile Nov. 29.
The other O'Neill runner, Sorryaboutnothing (Repent), was a non-threatening fourth behind the well-regarded Esposito (Ghostzapper) Nov. 7, and was put up by the stewards back at Del Mar Nov. 15 after the aforementioned Urlacher forced him to steady sharply and miss by a neck. The dark bay was a $220,000 OBS June acquisition–220 times his sire's stud fee–after a :21 1/5 breeze.
Hollywood Don (Tapit) annexed the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Sept. 5 before finishing a distant third behind subsequent
GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile one-two Nyquist (Uncle Mo) and Swipe (Birdstone) in Santa Anita's GI FrontRunner S. Sept. 6. He was last seen finishing ninth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland Oct. 30.
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