Natalie
J. Baffert’s Awesomemundo fell far back early before rallying to win
the $100,000 Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes (G3) Saturday at Pimlico Race
Course.
The
Bob Baffert-trained filly completed the 1 1/16-mile distance in
1:44.70, winning by just a head over Love and Pride after a contentious
battle to the finish line. Catch a Thief took third.
Mike
Smith was aboard Awesomemundo for his second win on the card. He teamed
up with Baffert to win the fourth race with Paynter. Awesomemundo paid
$4.80 for her first victory in a stakes.
Allaire DuPont Distaff Quotes
Bob Baffert (winning trainer, Awesomemundo)
– “There was a lot more pressure on Mike with this filly because she’s a
house horse (owned by Baffert’s wife). She wasn’t in the picture and
Jill said to me, “why is she way back there?’ I said, ‘that’s the way
she runs.’ I told Mike, ‘she runs like Zenyatta a little bit, but don’t
count on her to make up that much ground.’”
Mike Smith (winning jockey, Awesomemundo)
– “They (Awesomeundo and Love and Pride) came together a little bit
because she was gawking around at the crowd, but it wasn’t anything. We
had a little trouble leaving, but she proved she’s very talented. She
has a beautiful long kick.”
Todd Pletcher (trainer, Love and Pride, 2nd)
– “She fought hard. I thought she might have taken a little bump from
the winner and knocked off stride. You hate to lose by a nose, but she
ran well.”
John Velazquez (jockey, Love and Pride, 2nd)
– “It worked out perfect. She’s supposed to be on the lead, and I was
there on the outside. She put in a good fight. I got bumped a little bit
late in the lane and got off-stride a little bit, but she fought hard.”
Tim Hills (trainer, Catch a Thief, 3rd)
– “This is the first time around two turns and stretching out. She’s
done one-turn miles and seven-eighths very well. We were extremely
pleased with her effort today. Grade 3-placed will really help her in
the broodmare barn next year.”
Julien Leparoux (jockey, Catch a Thief, 3rd) – “The horse ran very well today. We didn’t have any trouble at all. The horse ran great, just didn’t win.”