Drefong, a romping winner of two optional claimers at Santa Anita this year–most recently going 6 1/2 furlongs July 4–broke like a shot from the widest draw and never looked back en route to a dominant performance in this prestigious contest.
A debut fifth as the 9-5 chalk at Santa Anita last October, Drefong stamped himself as one to watch with a 9 1/2-length graduation in an 11-horse field at Del Mar Nov. 14, good for 'TDN Rising Star' honors. He was equally as impressive in his two scores in Arcadia earlier this term and was favored in his stakes debut while venturing out of Southern California for the first time here.
Sent right to the front by Mike Smith, Drefong quickly cleared his rivals from post 12 and clicked off easy splits of :23.11 and :45.85. Drefong was still racing in hand as they began to straighten for home and took off with a quick shake of the reins to provide Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert with his first stakes winner at Saratoga since Contested (Ghostzapper)'s score in the 2012 GI Test S.
“The horse has always been incredibly fast,” Baffert said. “We freshened him up and this was the race we were looking forward to, so I was happy when I saw the post. When he left there and I saw the first quarter in :23, I thought that was a good pace. It wasn't too taxing on him. I'm proud of him, he ran so well. And the Chu family, they just got in the game a few years ago, they've been extremely lucky with their horses, so this was a big win for them. Good for them, I'm here just to fulfill their dreams.”
Baffert continued, “He's fast, he looks the part. He's got a great mind. I've always thought he was cut out to be this kind of horse, but he had to prove it today. That was a tough little bunch he was in there with. If you can do it on a day like the Travers, that's even more important. We're trying to win these big races. I'm trying to get him to the [GI] Breeders' Cup Sprint and I didn't want to run him in the [GII] Bing Crosby, I had the other horse in there, this was the last chance [to run against] 3-year-olds.”
Click here for Jessica Martini's profile on owners Charles and Susan Chu.
Pedigree Notes…
Eltimaas, with Drefong in utero, RNA'd for $65,000 at the 2012 Keeneland November sale. Breeder Fred Allor purchased the mare, in foal to Lookin at Lucky, for $90,000 at the 2011 Keeneland November sale. She sold to Machmer Hall in foal to Mizzen Mast for $77,000 at that auction in 2013.
Eltimaas's yearling filly by Animal Kingdom is consigned to the Keeneland September sale as hip 325. She was bred to Candy Ride (Arg) this year.
A daughter of multiple graded stakes placed Najecam (Trempolino), Eltimaas is a half-sister to champion 2-year-old and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Action this Day (Kris S.). The unraced mare was bred by Jaime Carrion, who also bred Action this Day, as well as champion Meadow Star and Grade I winners Cutlass Reality and Meadowlake. Carrion dispersed his bloodstock in 2008. Eltimaas was purchased by Shadwell for $600,000 as a Keeneland September yearling in 2008. She brought 20,000gns as a 3-year-old at Tattersalls December in 2010.
Saturday, Saratoga
KETEL ONE KING'S BISHOP S.-GI, $500,000, SAR, 8-27, 3yo, 7f, 1:21.25, ft.
1–#@&DREFONG, 117, c, 3, by Gio Ponti
1st Dam: Eltimaas, by Ghostzapper
2nd Dam: Najecam, by Trempolino
3rd Dam: Sue Warner, by Forli
($200,000 Wlg '13 KEENOV; $450,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). 'TDN Rising Star' O-Charles Chu; B-Frederick M Allor, Michael T Barnett & Anthony M Warrender (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Mike E. Smith. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 5-4-0-0, $378,040. *Third SW (first GISW) for sire (by Tale of the Cat). Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”hillndale-lanni-purchased”][bullet ad=”machmer-hall-drefong”][bullet ad=”select-sales-drefong-keesep-hip-325″][bullet ad=”blackburn-farm-foaled-raised-sold”][bullet ad=”woodsedgefarm-grad”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″][bullet ad=”eisamanequine-shell”]2–Economic Model, 117, c, 3, Flatter–Queen of America, by Quiet American. ($150,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Klaravich Stables Inc & William H Lawrence; B-Claiborne Farm (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $100,000.[bullet ad=”nick-de-meric-de-meric-stables-graduate”] 3–Noholdingback Bear, 117, c, 3, Put It Back–Pleasant Quality, by Elusive Quality. ($25,000 Ylg '14 KEEJAN). O-Bear Stables Ltd; B-Jerry Jamgotchian (KY); T-Michael P De Paulo. $60,000.[bullet ad=”denali-bred-by-jerry-jamgotchian-sold-by-denali”]Margins: 3 1/4, HF, NK. Odds: 3.40, 7.30, 25.50.
Also Ran: Summer Revolution, Mind Your Biscuits, Fish Trappe Road, Tale of S'avall, Bird Song, Tom's Ready, Rated R Superstar, Mohaymen, Star Hill. Scratched: Jazzy Times.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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