Desert Gate

Bob Baffert will send out a capable quartet in Sunday's closing-day GI Del Mar Futurity, a race he has won the last four years and a remarkable 18 times overall. After sending out future GI Kentucky Derby winner Silver Charm (Silver Buck) to scoop the event for the first time back in 1996, he added the next six renewals. His personal honor roll is a veritable Hall of Fame, including champions Midshipman (1998), Lookin At Lucky (1999) and American Pharoah (2014) among the champions to have succeeded at the seaside....

I'm not going to apologise for saying it again: in the old days, before veterinary science released the shackles, quality was locked into stallion books. To reach a top sire, you had to earn the right. In 1962, Hirsch Jacobs requested access to Swaps for Searching, a granddaughter of La Troienne, winner of 25 races, meanwhile in the Hall of Fame. After all, she had got to Swaps for her first cover, two years previously, and there was a nice filly duly entering training named Affectionately. But John Galbreath told...

Make it an even dozen. On Saturday afternoon under the usual beautiful skies of a Southern Californian summer, Desert Gate (c, 2, Omaha Beach--Theogony, by Curlin) gave Hall of Famer Bob Baffert his 12th career win in the GIII Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar, in addition to the fourth consecutive victory in the race for the Baffert team. To make it even sweeter, Desert Gate also marked the third winner in the Best Pal for the ownership trio of Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, as well as...

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced juveniles from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes, sponsored by OBS Sales, highlights debuting and stakes-entered 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, including links to their under-tack previews. Here are the horses entered for Saturday at Ellis Park and Del Mar. Saturday, August...

LAMBO, 6/12, CD, Race 8, 6 furlongs, video Beyer Speed Figure - 86 (c, 4, by Uncle Mo-Sunshiny Day, by Bernardini) O-Lawrence Roman. B-Aaron Sones (Ky). T-Peter Jacobson. J-Jose Ortiz. In his first start since being purchased privately by Larry Roman (a New Yorker who also owns current stakes runner Banishing) and trainer David Jacobson, six-race maiden Lambo finally saw another fast-track sprint and celebrated by speeding 6 furlongs in 1:08.63 on the lead throughout. DESERT GATE, 6/13, SA, Race 2, 5 furlongs, video Beyer Speed Figure - 86 (c,...

2nd-Santa Anita, $58,800, Msw, 6-13, 2yo, 5f, :57.35, ft, 2 1/4 lengths. DESERT GATE (c, 2, Omaha Beach--Theogony {SW-Can, SW & MGSP-USA, $404,544}, by Curlin), who was facing three others for this debut, tracked pacesetter Acknowledgemeplz (Bucchero) up the backstretch. Moving rather effortlessly to the outside, the colt collared his rival around the far turn as the pair separated themselves from the other two entries. Desert Gate suddenly hit the accelerator entering the lane and powered away nicely to graduate by 2 1/4 lengths. The winner's dam is responsible for...