Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has won an unprecedented 13 renewals of the GI Del Mar Futurity since 1996, with famed Thoroughbreds such as Silver Charm (1996), Officer (2001), Midshipman (2008), Lookin At Lucky (2009) and American Pharoah (2014) among the names contributing to his success. Baffert enters the 2017 edition with two local maiden winners who can add a 14th victory in the race. 'TDN Rising Star' Soul Streit (Maclean's Music), owned in partnership by ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, was an impressive wire-to-wire victor in his five-furlong debut Aug. 13. While he must extend two more furlongs in the Labor Day feature, stablemate Zatter (Midnight Lute) owns a win at six furlongs, having captured his Aug. 20 unveiling in similarly convicing fashion after pressing the pace three across the track in the early stages. The form of that race received a major boost when runner-up and fellow Baffert trainee St. Patrick's Day (Pioneerof the Nile)–a full-brother to American Pharoah–came back to win at second asking Saturday.
Kaleem Shah's Run Away (Run Away and Hide) looms as the one to beat by virtue of his three-for-three docket, highlighted by scores in the July 3 Santa Anita Juvenile S. and Aug. 12 GII Best Pal S. Shah won last year's Futurity with Klimt (Quality Road), trained by none other than Baffert. Run Away proved he could rate nicely in the latter triumph and will likely be asked to do that again with a number of other speedy rivals signed on. $1-million OBS April 2-year-old Tatters for Riches (Union Rags) was a front-running winner in his debut at Del Mar July 29 for Red Barons Barn and Rancho Temescal, while Ruis Racing's $630,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) won going a half-furlong longer Aug. 5.
When asked about Tatters for Riches, Mullins told the Del Mar notes team, “He's a lot more mature than a lot of 2-year-olds are, physically and mentally. You look at him and you wouldn't know he was a 2-year-old. You'd think he was a 3 or 4-year-old.”
Zedan Racing Stables' Gracida (Custom for Carlos) completes the speed brigade off a five-panel graduation for trainer Doug O'Neill July 22.
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