As an example of the strength and fitness of Maximum Security, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert pointed out that the 2019 3-year-old male champion was not breathing deeply as he returned to pose in front of the infield board following his victory Saturday in the Grade 1, $500,000 TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar near San Diego, Calif.
This after running 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.24, leading wire-to-wire and putting an easy three lengths between himself and runner-up Sharp Samurai at the finish.
Trackside on Sunday morning, Baffert related how the 4-year-old son of New Year’s Day practically dragged handlers back to the barn Saturday evening and was fine in the morning light. Baffert also said that as gratifying and emotional as the TVG Pacific Classic win was – it brought tears to the eyes of owners Gary and Mary West – it was not the most impressive of Maximum Security’s two-race Del Mar tour de force.
“The most impressive race was the San Diego (Handicap, July 25),” Baffert said. “He was inside, got stopped, had to overcome trouble and a slow track and still won.”
Comparatively, the Pacific Classic, Maximum Security’s second start for Baffert and second with Abel Cedillo in the irons, was a day at the beach. From an outside post, five of six, Maximum Security broke alertly and Cedillo was able to get positioned on the lead near the rail and never relinquish it.
The inevitable next questions – what and where for his next start and will it be at a place where Cedillo or Luis Saez will ride – will be left for another day. Post-TVG Pacific Classic, Baffert had mentioned the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on October 10 as a prelim to the Breeders’ Cup Classic – the TVG Pacific Classic was a “Win and You’re In” qualifier – in November at Keeneland. But he’s not making any commitment.
“I’m not sure yet,” Baffert said.
STARSHIP JUBILEE, 2019 Canadian Horse of the Year who began this year with four stakes victories, 3 of them graded, finished fourth in a very fast renewal of the Grade 1 Diana Handicap at Saratoga Aug. 23. Blue Heaven’s champion mare trained by Kevin Attard stalked a soft pace and finished evenly while RUSHING FALL surged to victory in a rapid 1:45.88 for 1 1/8 miles on turf.
Starship Jubilee was only four lengths behind Rushing Fall at the finish and she earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form. The 7-year-old by Indy Wind is expected to go for a repeat in the E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1) in October.
RUSHING FALL, incidentally, was co-bred by Toronto’s John Fielding and the More Than Ready mare has won 11 of 14 races over $2.5 million.
“She knows how to win. She’s a remarkable horse,” trainer Chad Brown said. “This is a horse that has won Grade 1s in four straight years. This is very rare company to do this. She’s a horse of a lifetime for anybody – for an owner, for a trainer, for racing. We’re very fortunate that [owner] Bob Edwards put her back in training. Her last race of the year last year was not good, she’s worth a lot of money and they could easily have sold her and bred her. They gave her the time off and we sent her down to Stonestreet in Ocala like we do every winter where they do a fantastic job and then my team got a hold of her and took it from there. They executed like they always have, and the filly really came through. She’s special.”
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