Quality Road's Roadster Back in a Big Way for Baffert

8th-Santa Anita, $57,342, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($80,000), 3-1, 3yo, 1m, 1:37.53, ft.
ROADSTER (c, 3, Quality Road–Ghost Dancing {SW, $163,897}, by Silver Ghost) was a somewhat surprising second choice at 4-5 behind the 3-5 odds of Jan. 4 track-and-trip maiden winner Nolo Contesto (Pioneerof the Nile), but the talented 'TDN Rising Star' asserted his superiority with a promising 2 1/2-length tally. Hailed by Bob Baffert at one point before he had ever run as the potential heir apparent to barn stars and Triple Crown winners American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) and Justify (Scat Daddy), the $525,000 KEESEP yearling lived up to 4-5 backing with a good-looking 4 1/4-length debut score at Del Mar in July. He ran into another Baffert-trained superstar in eventual champion and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile hero Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}) when third as the favorite in the Sept. 3 GI Del Mar Futurity, and was ruled out of the Breeders' Cup himself when requiring minor throat surgery after reportedly displacing in the Futurity. Away alertly off of a workab that included a Feb. 17 bullet six-furlong breeze in a very swift 1:10.60 (XBTV video), the grey took the first turn in about the three path and grabbed second from Nolo Contesto down the backside. His main rival seemed to need some encouragement through a :47.85 half, but Roadster was going strong as he took over between foes heading for home. He quickly stiff-armed a mild bid from longshot Manhattan Up (Street Boss) in upper stretch, and showed a niceburst of speed to increase his margin of victory in the run to the wire. Nolo Contesto outfinished Manhattan Up for second before galloping out with very good energy and well past Roadster. Roadster is a half-brother to Moro Tap (Tapit), GSP, $161,816; and Ascend (Candy Ride {Arg}), GISW, $859,980. His dam produced a Twirling Candy colt in 2018 before being bred to Candy Ride (Arg) himself. Sales history: $525,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $106,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Speedway Stable LLC; B-Stone Farm (KY); T-Bob Baffert.