Bred, owned, trained by Bafferts, Fun to Dream wins La Brea

A California-bred daughter of 2016 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Arrogate making her first graded-stakes start, Fun to Dream rallied to take the Grade 1, $300,000 La Brea Stakes on opening day Monday at Santa Anita for the husband-and-wife team of trainer Bob Baffert and part-owner Jill Baffert.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Fun to Dream gave the Bafferts not only one of five training wins Monday but also a homebred victory in North America’s final Grade 1 test for 3-year-old fillies in 2022.

Click here for Santa Anita entries and results.

Out of the Maria’s Mon mare Lutess, Fun to Dream got seven furlongs in 1:21.99.

Breaking sharply from her No. 5 post position, Fun to Dream was just a half-length off dueling leaders Ganadora and Ain’t Easy three furlongs from home. With stablemate Ganadora dropping back at the rail leaving the quarter pole, Fun to Dream loomed three deep turning for home, opened up about two lengths leaving the eighth pole and was fully extended to prevail late over a hard-trying Awake At Midnyte.

Bred and owned in California by Jill Baffert and Connie Pageler, Fun to Dream came off a head victory in the state-bred Betty Grable Stakes going the same distance at Del Mar on Nov. 13. She had won two races in a row coming into the La Brea and was off as the second choice at 5-2 in a field of six. She paid $7.40, $4.00 and $3.40.

With the La Brea winner’s share of $180,000, Fun to Dream increased her earnings to $426,590 as she secured her fifth win from six career starts.

Ridden patiently by Mario Gutierrez, Awake At Midnyte, who was fourth at the half-mile, leveled late in a big effort to finish second, 3 1/4 lengths in front of long shot Kirtenbosch. Off at 7-1, Awake At Midnyte paid $6.60 and $4.40.

Ridden by 2019 champion apprentice Kazushi Kamura, Kirstenbosch was the biggest price in the field at 31-1 and returned $9.20 to show.

Fractions for the race were 22.05, 44.80 and 1:09.27.