Two Bob Baffert-trained colts will take on a salty 3-year-old maiden special weight Feb. 22 at Santa Anita Park. Both colts were purchased by their respective connections for $500,000 as yearlings.
Spendthrift Farm's Fantastic Day drew the rail in the one-mile test, and Karl Watson, Michael Pegram, and Paul Weitman's Mastering will leave the outside post in the field of eight.
Fantastic Day, a Medaglia d'Oro colt bred in Kentucky by Courtland Farm out of the grade 1-placed Pleasant Tap mare Indescribable, will make his debut under jockey J.C. Diaz Jr.
The colt began training at Santa Anita in mid-January and posted a bullet four-furlong work from the gate in :47 1/5 Feb. 16 to be the fastest of 37 at the distance.
Fantastic Day brought his hefty price while consigned by Lane's End to The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale in New York.
Mastering has raced once, finishing sixth in a Feb. 2 maiden race on the same course but a furlong shorter. The son of Street Sense was purchased in 2018 at The October Sale, Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky fall sale, where he was consigned by Eaton Sales.
He most recently posted a five-furlong work Feb. 17 in 1:00 3/5. Mastering will be ridden by Assael Espinoza.
The expected heavy favorite Saturday was cross-entered in the Mine That Bird Derby, but trainer Peter Eurton and Exaulted's connections opted to stay at their home base.
The Twirling Candy colt owned by C R K Stable finished second to another Baffert trainee in his Jan. 19 debut, finishing 3 3/4 lengths behind subsequent San Vicente Stakes (G2) winner Nadal.
The high-class field also includes Yeng Again, a half brother to grade 3 winner and last year's Preakness Stakes (G1) third-place finisher, Owendale. The Carpe Diem colt finished second, missing by half a length, in his Jan. 26 debut.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, February 22, 2020, Race 4Entries: Race 4 (MSW) at SA on 2/22/20
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Fantastic Day (KY) J.C. Diaz, Jr. 122 Bob Baffert 12/1 2 2Cool Runnings (KY) Rafael Bejarano 122 J. Keith Desormeaux 15/1 3 3Divine Armor (KY) Abel Cedillo 122 John W. Sadler 3/1 4 4Exaulted (KY) Mike E. Smith 122 Peter Eurton 2/1 5 5Kiss Today Goodbye (KY) UMBERTO RISPOLI 122 J. Eric Kruljac 10/1 7 7Reprobate (KY) Flavien Prat 122 Neil D. Drysdale 10/1 8 8Mastering (KY) Assael Espinoza 122 Bob Baffert 8/1
On the East Coast, Chad Brown trainee Vintage Print will try for a third time to break through the maiden ranks Saturday at Gulfstream Park. The Curlin colt has finished off the board in both of his 2019 starts in New York, and he will try turf for the first time in the one-mile test.
The $1.8 million Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase by OXO Equine is the first foal out of 2015 La Troienne Stakes (G1) winner Molly Morgan.
Reliability, a Tapit colt out of Darley Prix Jean Romanet (G1) winner Announce, will also be among the field of 10.
