Uncle Mo's Bast Repeats in Chandelier

Bet like a mortal lock into 1-5 favoritism for Friday's GI Chandelier S. on opening day of the fall/winter/spring meeting at Santa Anita, Baoma Corporation's Bast (Uncle Mo) had to work for it, but ultimately got just the better of pacesetting 'TDN Rising Star' Comical (Into Mischief) to take the 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies five weeks down the line. The Chus' Alluring Star (Exchange Rate) was runner-up in the 2017 Juvenile Fillies after leading into the final furlong, while the couple's Drefong (Gio Ponti) won the GI Sprint the last time the Breeders' Cup was held at Santa Anita back in 2016.

Those who took the skinny price on the $200,000 Keeneland November purchase turned $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling were surely looking for a repeat of Bast's latest, an 8 3/4-length drubbing of seven overmatched rivals in the GI Del Mar Debutante Aug. 31, with Comical third. But it wasn't meant to be.

Away without incident from the four hole in a compact field of six, Bast was three wide into the clubhouse turn racing off the flank of Comical, with the rail-drawn 9-2 second favorite Been Studying Her (Fast Anna) holding her position at the fence. Content to sit three wide the trip, Bast remained under a long John Velazquez hold into the final half-mile before edging closer to Comical at the entrance to the second turn. Niggled along three-eighths out, Bast appeared to be going the better of the two on the business end, but Comical proved a stubborn rival, making the chalk work for every inch before going down to a narrow defeat. Bast covered 31 feet more than the runner-up, according the Trakus. K P Dreamin sat a good inside trip and finished willingly for third while no menace to the top pair. Leucothea (Midshipman) swerved a couple of strides out of the gates, casting Norberto Arroyo, Jr. to the ground.

“Down the backside she was going nice, then turning for home, John was like, 'Come on baby, we've got to go,' and she wasn't going,” said Bob Baffert, winning this race for the 11th time. “He thought she would respond, but I think this will get her ready for the next one.

“This is a very demanding, deep, heavy race track. Not only do you have to be really good, you have to be ready..The Chus are really excited and we've been really lucky together, winning the Breeders' Cup Sprint with Drefong, so they've already had a champion. They've been great supporters of mine. I really think this race is going to move Bast up, so I feel pretty good about it. You're supposed to get tired first time two turns. But she got the job done.”

The victory marked a record 661st in graded company for John Velazquez, bettering the previous mark set by Jerry Bailey.

“This means a lot. [Jerry Bailey] is a guy who I rode with for so many years and have looked up to for so long. It's incredible,” the rider commented.

Pedigree Notes:

Bast is the first foal from her dam, a half-sister to GSW & GISP Mananan McLir (Royal Academy), SW & GSP Big Sur (Malibu Moon) and SW Chaming N Lovable (Horse Chestnut {SAf}), dam of GISW Fault (Blame) and GSP Betweenhereandcool (Unbridled's Song). As pointed out by Chris McGrath in a recent column, Bast–who was bought back on a bid of $290,000 with this filly in utero at Keeneland November in 2016–carries Arch 3×2 (Uncle Mo is out of Playa Maya, by Arch). Laffina is the dam of a colt from the first crop of California Chrome that the Chus paid $325,000 at the recently concluded Keeneland September sale. It was the most expensive of 27 yearlings by the two-time Horse of the Year at the auction. Laffina is the dam of a filly foal by Pioneerof the Nile and was most recently covered by Ghostzapper.

Friday, Santa Anita
CHANDELIER S.-GI, $300,351, Santa Anita, 9-27, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:46.10, ft.
1–BAST, 122, f, 2, by Uncle Mo&log=">Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Laffina, by Arch
2nd Dam: St Lucinda, by St. Jovite
3rd Dam: Majestic Nature, by Majestic Prince
($200,000 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $500,000 Ylg '18 FTSAUG).
O-Baoma Corporation; B-BlackRidge Stables LLC (KY); T-Bob
Baffert; J-John R. Velazquez. $180,000. Lifetime Record:
3-2-1-0, $372,200. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus* Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Comical, 122, f, 2, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Kayce Ace, by Tiznow
2nd Dam: Sweet Damsel, by Turkoman
3rd Dam: Grande Dame, by Zen
($100,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). 'TDN Rising Star' O-ERJ Racing, LLC,
Gary Barber, Dave Kenney, Madaket Stables LLC & Westside
Racing Stable; B-Susan Casner (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $60,000.
3–K P Dreamin, 122, f, 2, by Union Rags
1st Dam: Litigating, by Point Given
2nd Dam: Mediation (Ire), by Caerleon
3rd Dam: Redeem Herself, by General Assembly
($100,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $170,000 2yo '19 OBSAPR). O-Karl
Pergola; B-Vegso Racing Stable (FL); T-Jeff Mullins. $36,000.
Margins: NK, 3, 2 1/4. Odds: 0.20, 11.60, 17.60.
Also Ran: Been Studying Her, Buyer's Remorse, Leucothea.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.