Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will saddle Gun Boat (8-1, Martin
Pedroza) and Drill (7-2, Martin Garcia) in today’s $250,000, Grade I Del
Mar Futurity seeking his 10th victory in the race that determines the 2-year-old champion of the meeting.
Baffert took the Futurity seven straight times from 1996-2002, most
notably with Silver Charm, the 1996 Futurity winner who went on to
victory in the 1997 Kentucky Derby. After a five-year break, Baffert
was back in the winner’s circle with Midshipman in 2008 and Lookin At
Lucky in 2009.
Midshipman and Lookin At Lucky both went on to receive Eclipse Awards
as the top 2-year-olds in North America and Lookin At Lucky was voted
the top 3-year-old in 2010 after winning the Preakness and other major
stakes.
The next-closest trainer to Baffert for Futurity wins is D. Wayne Lucas, with three.
“Gun Boat, I wasn’t sure if I was going to enter him because there’s
also a race (2-year-old stakes) at Pomona,” Baffert said. “But he has
trained very well over this track, and that’s the whole thing, if a
horse likes the track.
“I think Drill is a very good horse, but they’re all still young and
learning. I think Mike Harrington’s horse, Creative Cause, (9-5
favorite) is very good and so is Peter Miller’s horse, Majestic City
(5-2), they’re the ones to beat.
“But it’s a Grade I, and we’re always trying to hit the long ball in this barn.”