Litmus Test

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....

3rd-Del Mar, $81,000, Msw, 8-16, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:03.64, ft, 3/4 length. LITMUS TEST (c, 2, Nyquist--Study Hard, by Malibu Moon) took plenty of pari-mutuel support as the 11-10 favorite while making his career debut over 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar on Saturday, and ran to the money, earning a hard-fought victory over his once-raced stable companion Falcon Jet (Justify). Off fairly from gate two, the $875,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling purchase was beaten for speed, as Sendit Mo (Yaupon) sped to the front from an outside draw. Driven along...

4th-SAR, $100k, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 2:20p.m. ET A homebred for St Elias Stable, Nonna Teresa (Gun Runner) will head out for conditioner Todd Pletcher on what could turn into a very quality-heavy afternoon for debuting runners at The Spa. From the female line of the great Personal Ensign through third dam MGISW My Flag (Easy Goer), the chestnut is out of MGSW Teresa Z (Smart Strike), herself a half-sister to the dams of GSW-UAE Queen Azteca (Sharp Azteca) and MGSP Colorful Mischief (Into Mischief). Her final prep for this...