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DEL MAR — Mike Smith without a stakes triumph during a Del Mar meet? It’s astir unfathomable, but it astir happened this summertime astatine the seaside track.
Smith went into the last time of Del Mar’s 31-day conscionable without a stakes win, but acknowledgment to a gate-to-wire thrust aboard Pinehurst successful Monday’s $300,000 Grade I Del Mar Futurity for 2-year-olds, he’s winless nary more.
The 4½-length triumph aboard the Bob Baffert-trained Pinehurst gave Smith 73 stakes victories astatine Del Mar – bully for 10th astir all-time. It was his archetypal triumph successful the Futurity.
For Baffert, helium continues to ain the Del Mar Futurity. He’s won the contention a grounds 15 times and, coupled with his triumph with Grace Adler successful Sunday’s Grade I Del Mar Debutante, he’s present scored six Debutante-Futurity doubles.
“I’m conscionable fortunate,” helium said successful the winner’s circle. “I’ve been truly blessed that I’ve had the clientele to backmost me. You request that to bargain these young horses, and our programme is each astir the young horses.”
Smith rode Pinehurst, a Twirling Candy colt, erstwhile helium debuted with a half-length triumph successful a maiden peculiar value astatine Del Mar connected Aug. 1. He went postward arsenic the 4-1 2nd prime down Baffert’s different entry, the 3-5 favourite Murray.
“You springiness (Smith) a unrecorded one, he’s good,” Baffert said. “I don’t hesitate with Mike. He’s conscionable blessed that helium won a stake, due to the fact that helium hadn’t won a involvement astatine the meet. He didn’t wanna interruption his record.”
Pinehurst stumbled astatine the commencement successful his debut, but determination were nary specified obstacles for Smith to flooded successful this one. He broke alertly and carved retired fractions of 22.09, 44.77 and 1:10.17 en way to a last clip of 1:23.55 for the 7 furlongs.
“When we ran past time, helium stumbled beauteous severely coming retired of there, but helium inactive made the lead,” Smith said. “So I knew helium was plentifulness quick. We bushed a equine that time named Enbarr and I knew they were existent precocious connected him. So I figured I was sitting connected a bully horse.
“When you thrust for Bob, you thrust with confidence. He puts truthful overmuch instauration nether them and they each travel running. I’m truthful gladsome I got to triumph a stakes astatine Del Mar, and it’s champion to bash it with a Grade I.”
Murray won his debut by 10¾ lengths connected July 25 astatine Del Mar, but helium ne'er fired arsenic the dense favourite with Flavien Prat aboard.
“Murray was conscionable level today,” Baffert said. “He was quiet. I anticipation he’s not getting sick. The different horse, he’s a bully horse. They’re some bully horses. The 2nd out, you don’t cognize what they’re going to do. The 2nd retired is important, but I’m conscionable blessed that, having 2 bully ones successful there, 1 showed up and 1 didn’t. But that happens, it’s equine racing.”
Finneus, a 38-1 longshot with Tiago Pereira aboard, finished second, a half-length successful beforehand of the Steve Asmussen-trained American Xperiment. Murray coiled up 5th successful the six-horse field, beaten astir 10 lengths.
The triumph was Baffert’s 4th stakes triumph of the conscionable and his 143rd vocation stakes triumph astatine Del Mar, astir all-time.
PRAT, MILLER REIGN SUPREME
Prat scored different riding triple Monday, giving him 47 victories and a 3rd consecutive riding rubric during the summertime meet. He’s won oregon shared 5 of the past six. Juan Hernandez was runner-up with 32 victories.
Peter Miller won 26 races during Del Mar’s 82nd summertime meet, giving him his ninth grooming rubric (summer oregon fall) astatine the track. He out-finished Baffert by six victories.
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