Del Mar 2022: Baffert has another 2-year-old stakes winner

Havnameltdown became the latest in a long line of stakes-winning 2-year-olds for trainer Bob Baffert – and the latest winner in what is building into a meet-championship summer for jockey Juan Hernández.

The $200,000 Uncaptured colt bolted out of the gate and took a lead he never relinquished Sunday on the way to winning the Grade 3, $200,000 Best Pal Stakes covering six furlongs of the main track at Del Mar.

In his first try this season, Baffert won a graded-stakes for 2-year-olds. He has won at least one every year since 2004, according to data at Equibase. He collected six such victories last year, including two Grade 1s with eventual champion Corniche. Baffert has won the Best Pal a record nine times.

Hernández won four races Sunday to run his total this summer to 29 to lead the Del Mar meet by 14 over Umberto Rispoli, his next nearest rival.

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A debut winner last month at Del Mar in a five-furlong sprint, Havnameltdown blasted out of the gate and established early fractions of 21.74 and 44.87 seconds.

Agency (9-1), another debut winner, moved forward in the turn for home, but he was no match for Havnameltdown, who was clocked at a winning time of 1:10.22. Agency finished 2 1/2 lengths behind in second followed in third by Man Child (28-1) and in fourth by Pop d’Oro (22-1).

Bred in Florida by Katherine Devall, Havnameltdown is owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. The colt was bought in April at Ocala, Fla.