Baffert Takes Four Shots at CashCall Futurity
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As usual, Bob Baffert has his sights set on the Grade I,
$750,000-guaranteed CashCall Futurity, which is expected to draw a near capacity
field for its 32nd running, Saturday, Dec. 15.
The Hall of Fame trainer, who has won three of the last four
Futurities, including the 2011 edition with Liaison, is expected to start four,
though final plans and rider assignments for the race, which will be run at 1
1/16 miles over Cushion Track, will be cemented in the next couple of days.
The “final four” of his 26 nominations are Jill Baffert and
Bode Miller’s Carving, winner of the Real Quiet Stakes Nov. 10, Westrock Stable
LLC’s Den’s Legacy, who captured the Grade III Generous Stakes on turf Nov. 24,
Watson, Pegram, et al’s Really Mr Greely, upset winner of the Grade III Hollywood
Prevue Nov. 22, and Gary and Mary West’s Title Contender, who set the pace in
the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Nov. 3.
Shipping in from New York will be Black Rock Stable, LLC’s
unbeaten Violence, trained by Todd Pletcher.
The Medaglia d’Oro colt was a debut winner at Saratoga August 18 before a dominating victory
in the Grade II Nashua Stakes Nov. 4 at Aqueduct.
He’s Had Enough, beaten a head at 19-1 by Shanghai Bobby in
the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, has J. Paul Reddam, Doug O’Neill and Mario
Gutierrez thinking about another Triple Crown run. The connections won the 2012 Kentucky Derby
and Preakness with I’ll Have Another, who was retired with an injury prior to
the Belmont Stakes.
Ken McPeek, who shipped Pure Fun to Betfair Hollywood Park
for an emphatic victory in Saturday’s Grade I Hollywood Starlet, has two
possibilities for the CashCall—Bold Challenger, an impressive maiden winner Nov.
2 at Churchill Downs and Boundless Heart, a developing son of Elusive Quality.
Other probable starters are Bluegrass Hall LLC’s Oxbow (Hall
of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas), a recent 4 ¾ length maiden winner at Churchill
Downs, and Jaam Racing et al’s Little Jerry, who posted a stunning $53.80 debut
victory for trainer Richard Baltas.
Also expected are Awtrey, Hollendorfer, et
al’s Fury Kapcori (Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer) and Myung Kwon Cho’s
Dirty Swagg (Cho), the second and third place finishers, respectively, in the
Real Quiet.
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