Santa Anita: Gaming out; Rispoli gets First Mission in Goodwood

Bob Baffert said Friday morning that Gaming will be scratched from Saturday’s Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita, where jockey Umberto Rispoli was named to replace Paco Lopez on program favorite First Mission.

The exit of Gaming leaves Privman and Nevada Beach to go postward for Baffert. Gaming, who drew the rail, was the 6-1 fourth choice on the morning line for the 1 1/8-mile Goodwood.

“Not a good spot for him. We’ll look for something else,” Baffert said.

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The Goodwood is a win and you’re in for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 1. Privman (6-1) and Nevada Beach (12-1) will be joined in the lineup by morning-line favorite First Mission (8-5), who shipped in from Kentucky for trainer Brad Cox; second choice Full Serrano (2-1), Ultimate Gamble (8-1) and Express Train (20-1).

As for First Mission, the substitution of Rispoli for suspended Lopez was confirmed by the racing office Friday morning.

Privman will make his stakes debut in the Goodwood. A 3-year-old colt by Justify, he most recently prevailed by a half-length in a one-mile allowance at Del Mar despite racing erratically in the stretch Aug 6. The runner-up that day, Lyell’s Song, came back to win a similar allowance a month later for trainer Mark Glatt.

“He’s still a bit immature. He got a little erratic when he made the lead the other day,” Baffert said. “This is a tough race. I’ll see how he handles it, but we’re looking down the road with him. We’ll see how he handles it, but he’s going to be a better older horse.”

Privman, named after longtime Daily Racing Form correspondent Jay Privman, will be ridden by Antonio Fresu for the first time. Juan Hernandez, who rode Privman in his allowance win, sticks with Full Serrano.

Nevada Beach exits a dominant 4 1/4-length in the Los Alamitos Derby on June 28, also contested at 1 1/8 miles. It was just the third start for the 3-year-old colt by Omaha Beach. Before that effort, he finished second to Gaming in the 1 1/16-mile Affirmed at Santa Anita on June 8 when facing winners for the first time.

“He’s a horse I’ve always been high on,” Baffert said. “I was going to take him to Parx (for last weekend’s Pennsylvania Derby, G1), but I wasn’t happy with his breeze. But he’s come back and breezed well.”

Last Saturday, Nevada Beach worked six furlongs in 1:12.

“The talent is there. When he got beat in the Affirmed, we thought he couldn’t lose,” Baffert said.

Nevada Beach will be ridden by Mike Smith for the first time after having Hernandez aboard in all three previous starts.

Full Serrano, trained by John Sadler, will be making only his second start since winning last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. On Sept. 1 at Del Mar, Full Serrano returned from a 10-month layoff and aired by 7 1/4 lengths in a classified allowance going a mile.

“We were really pleased with his comeback,” Sadler said. “He had a little injury early in the year, and we so gave him time. He came back really well.”

A 5-year-old horse by Full Mast, Full Serrano has been nearly perfect since being imported from his native Argentina last year. His only loss in four U.S. starts came in last year’s Pacific Classic (G1), when he finished second by a half-length to Mixto.

Although Full Serrano has been based at Santa Anita since his arrival stateside, this will be his first time racing at the Great Race Place.

“It will be interesting to see how he runs here,” Sadler said.