Who else? Baffert loaded with 2-year-olds on Futurity list

Under the premise that it’s never too early to think about the season-ending Grade I, $300,000 Del Mar Futurity, the initial nominations list was perused recently. With the possibility of a few mailed in nominations arriving after the June 15 deadline, the names of 210 two-year-olds were on the list at a cost of $300 each.

And, by unofficial count, Hall of Famer Bob Baffert was the trainer of record for 50 of them.

The next-highest number of nominees went to Doug O’Neill (26), who was followed by Richard Mandella (17), Jerry Hollendorfer (15) and Peter Miller (10) among those hitting double figures in prospects.

Baffert has won the Futurity a record 13 times, stringing together seven in a row from 1996-2002 with the most famous being American Pharoah (2014), who went on to end a 37-year Triple Crown drought the following year.

There’s no telling which of the 50 will emerge as the best of the 2018 bunch, but Baffert has pointed out one recently. Ambushed by a TMZ reporter as he was entering a trendy Hollywood restaurant and asked about the next possible American Pharoah or Justify, he replied: “Roadster,” a roan colt owned by Speedway Stable who is, indeed, one of the 50 on the list.

Roadster has a string of 12 workouts toward his debut, the most recent this morning here when he went five furlongs in 1:01.00, sixth-best of 28 at the distance.

Of O’Neill’s 26, seven are owned outright and one in partnership by major client J. Paul Reddam. Mandella’s 17 come from clients like Don Alberto Racing, Wertheimer and Frere, Godolphin and Spendthrift Farm. Rockingham Ranch owns five of Miller’s 10, Kaleem Shah owns three of the seven nominees from Simon Callaghan and Hronis Racing is involved with four of five nominated by John Sadler.

San Diego native Mick Ruis, who won the 2017 Futurity with Bolt d’Oro, nominated five – C Falls, Drink To That, Kneedeepinsnow, Montana Moon and Popcorn For Eddie.