Baffert Nominates Three to Bayakoa Stakes
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has three of the dozen nominees to the $200,000 Bayakoa Stakes.
Open to fillies and mares 3-year-olds & up, the Grade II Bayakoa is the first of two stakes that will be run opening weekend of the inaugural Winter thoroughbred meet at Los Alamitos.
The 1-1/16 mile Bayakoa is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 6 while the $200,000 Soviet Problem for 2-year-old fillies bred or sired in California will be run Sunday, Dec. 7.
The most accomplished of Baffert’s Bayakoa nominees – in terms of earnings – is Jojo Warrior.
A daughter of Pioneerof the Nile owned by Zayat Stables LLC and Winstar Farm LLC, the 3-year-old has won three of seven and earned $371,981.
A double-graded stakes winner, Jojo Warrior has been away since finishing third behind eventual Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Untapable and Sweet Reason in the Grade I Cotillion Sept. 20 at Parx.
A 3-year-old Awesome Again filly owned by Kaleem Shah, Awesome Baby has won four of six for Baffert, including the Grade II Santa Ynez and Grade III Santa Ysabel earlier this year at Santa Anita. Purchased for $220,000 as a 2-year-old, Awesome Baby hasn’t been seen an easy win as the 1-2 favorite in the Sunland Park Oaks March 23.
The other Baffert nominee is Tiz Midnight, who has won three of eight and banked $214,720 for Mike Pegram and breeders Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. She finished sixth after setting the pace in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff Oct. 31 at Santa Anita.
Others nominated to the Bayakoa include the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained duo of Fleet of Gold and Swiss Lake Yodeler, the John Sadler-trained pair of Lady Asano and Legacy, who won the Cypress Stakes at Los Alamitos July 6, My Sweet Addiction, Oscar Party, Valiant Emilia, Warren’s Veneda and Yahilwa. Oscar Party and Yahilwa are trained by Jim Cassidy.
Winner of the CTBA Stakes July 18 at Del Mar and the Golden State Juvenile Fillies Oct. 31 at Santa Anita, My Fiona tops the list of nine nominees to the one-mile Soviet Problem.
Trained by Walther Solis for a partnership that includes breeder Terry Lovingier, the daughter of Ghostzapper has won three of five while earning $244,100. The Soviet Problem would mark her first start beyond seven furlongs.
The other nominees: City Ride, Easter Fever, Heat the Rocks, Niassa, Party Rock, Princess Bertrando, Take Back Spring and Tribal Express.
Entries for the Bayakoa will be taken Wednesday, Dec. 3 while entries for the Soviet Problem will be taken the following day.
Source: Los Alamitos Race Course