Prospect Watch: Baffert aims to stay hot with Ragtime Blues
With racing shut down at Santa Anita Park for the time being, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has been on fire with his limited starters at Oaklawn Park. He’ll aim to keep his momentum going with a couple more prominent runners this week, including the 3-year-old maiden Ragtime Blues.
But Ragtime Blues isn’t the only promising maiden slated to race this week. Let’s add a half-dozen notable prospects to our watch lists:
Friday
Oaklawn Park Race 7: Maiden Special Weight (6 furlongs, 5:06 p.m. ET)
#1 Backshot
As a son of Tapiture out of the Awesome Again mare Awesomekaylee, Backshot is a half-brother to the two-time stakes-winning sprinter The Money Monster. Sold for $350,000 as a 2-year-old, Backshot was hardly disgraced when finishing fifth in his debut at Del Mar last summer, considering he dueled for the lead through fractions of :21.82 and :45.45 in a race won by future American Pharoah (G1) runner-up American Theorem.
Subsequently transferred from Baffert to Peter Miller, Backshot has been training steadily in preparation for his return, most recently blazing a half-mile from the Oaklawn starting gate in :47 2/5. Returning from a nearly eight-month layoff is a question mark, but his work tab looks solid and drawing the rail sets up the potential for a ground-saving trip. Owned by Phoenix Ladies Syndicate, Backshot will race without blinkers and carry jockey David Cohen in the saddle.
It’s easy to see why Ragtime Blues sold for $500,000 as a yearling. As a son of Belmont Stakes winner Union Rags out of a mare by Street Cry (sire of Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense plus superstar mares Zenyatta and Winx), Ragtime Blues is bred to excel over classic distances.
Favored at 7-10 to win his debut at Los Alamitos last fall, Ragtime Blues was beaten to the finish line by next-out winner Howbeit and subsequently went to the sidelines. But since returning to serious training in January, Ragtime Blues has been cranking out fast workouts week after week, including a fast half mile in :47 4/5 on April 6 at Oaklawn. Baffert has gone 5-for-9 at Oaklawn this winter, and he’s been especially successful when teaming up with jockey Martin Garcia. Together, they’ve gone 4-for-5. With Garcia named to ride Ragtime Blues, expect this bay colt to fire a big shot at a short price on Friday.
Saturday
Gulfstream Park Race 5: Maiden Special Weight (7 furlongs, 2:46 p.m. ET)
Based on his pedigree, the unraced Shug McGaughey trainee Dreams of Tomorrow should be able to handle pretty much any surface or distance. His sire, Speightstown, was a champion sprinter who has sired multiple graded stakes winners running 1 1/4 miles on dirt, turf and synthetic tracks. Dreams of Tomorrow’s dam, Sabbatical, was equally versatile as a racehorse, winning on all surfaces while negotiating distances as short as 7 furlongs and as long as 1 3/8 miles. In short, there’s no telling the conditions under which Dreams of Tomorrow might ultimately excel. We’ll just have to wait and see how the career of this Phipps Stable homebred unfolds.
#4 Ashiham
Although Ashiham could finish only a distant fourth in his debut sprinting six furlongs at Gulfstream, he was facing a quality field and figures to improve substantially while stretching out in distance. After all, this $800,000 yearling purchase is a son of Tapit (sire of three Belmont Stakes winners) out of the Ghostzapper mare Wine Princess, a two-time graded stakes winner produced by 2002 Horse of the Year Azeri. From top to bottom, Ashiham is bred to excel running long, and he’s trained sharply since being transferred from trainer Kiaran McLaughlin to Todd Pletcher, blazing five furlongs in a bullet 1:00 3/5 on Apr. 18. Hot jockey Luis Saez -- McLaughlin now works as his agent -- picks up the mount.
#8 Basquiat
Owned by Peter Brant, Basquiat is a son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah out of the Distorted Humor mare Divalarious. The latter was stakes-placed on turf, and considering the affinity American Pharoah’s progeny have shown for grass, Basquiat might ultimately exhibit a love for the lawn. In the meantime, trainer Chad Brown has elected to start the colt off on dirt, prompted perhaps by a series of sharp workouts over the slow main track at Payson Park. Eclipse Award-winning rider Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount, so you can count on Basquiat receiving plenty of support in the wagering this Saturday.
#9 Chasing Anna
Sold for $400,000 as a yearling, Chasing Anna is a son of the capable sprinter Fast Anna out of a mare by Distorted Humor, a pedigree that leans more toward sprints and miles than classic distances. Chasing Anna has certainly shown speed in the mornings, cranking out a half-mile from the Gulfstream starting gate in :47 flat on Apr. 18, and while trainer Kenny McPeek isn’t a frequent winner with first-time starters (striking at a 6% rate), Chasing Anna figures to show promise on Saturday and only improve from there.