Baffert horse a winner at Del Mar in first start

Horse Racing

DEL MAR, Calif. — Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert had two victories on the opening weekend of Del Mar’s summer meet, three weeks after his 90-day suspension ended.

Havnameltdown won by 2 1/4 lengths in his first career start in Sunday’s $80,000 fourth race at the seaside track north of San Diego. The 2-year-old colt is owned by longtime Baffert clients Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman.

On Saturday, Baffert won a $16,000 claiming race with 3-year-old colt Sumo.

They are among 45 horses Baffert shipped down from his training base at Santa Anita near Los Angeles. He didn’t enter any of the lucrative stakes races on opening weekend of the meet that began Friday.

On Saturday, Taiba finished second by a head for Baffert in the $1 million Haskell Invitational at New Jersey’s Monmouth Park.

Baffert’s lengthy suspension by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission ended July 2.

He earned his first victory since coming back in the $125,000 Los Alamitos Derby a week later.

In April, Baffert began serving the suspension for a failed post-race drug test involving Medina Spirit, who finished first in the 2021 Kentucky Derby and was later disqualified. Baffert wasn’t allowed on the grounds at any track and his horses were turned over to other trainers in his absence.

In June, the New York Racing Association suspended Baffert for one year for repeated medication violations, although none of them occurred in New York. That punishment, which bars him from Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct, ends Jan. 26.

The two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer remains under a two-year ban by Churchill Downs that will keep him out of the Kentucky Derby for two years. He is suing the Louisville track to have it overturned.

Articles You May Like

Blazers’ all-rookie starting lineup 2nd in 50 years
‘Winning Olympic silver makes me want Paris gold’
Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Live Score, IPL 2024: Virat Kohli’s RCB Eye Wickets, Shikhar Dhawan’s PBKS Aim For Big Score
Weighing Xabi Alonso’s next options, and why Liverpool aren’t first in line
GB deliver best world championship medal haul

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *