ROAD COLT RUNS TO THE BUZZ AT DEL MAR; NAMED TDN RISING STAR

Roadster (Quality Road), touted as the next potential superstar colt for a Bob Baffert barn that’s produced the likes Triple Crown winners American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) and Justify (Scat Daddy) and the brilliant Arrogate (Unbridled’s Song) in recent years, took some time to be coaxed into the gate, and to get his feet underneath him once he broke out of it, but he ultimately lived up to the hype in a facile first victory. Off at 4-5 breaking from the rail, the roan was pushed along to move up and sit third behind splits of :22.05 and :46.20. He found his best stride in the vicinity of the quarter pole, picked off the leading pair out in the clear with ease, and cantered home under a motionless Mike Smith to don cap and gown by about six lengths in 1:11.07. Istanbul (He’s Had Enough–Le Mi Geaux) spiced up the exacta at a big price. The winner, a $525,000 KEESEP yearling–the second-priciest for his highly regarded sire last year–is a half to last year’s GI Woodford Reserve Manhattan S. winner Ascend (Candy Ride {Arg}), $859,980; Moro Tap (Tapit), GSP, $161,816; and a weanling colt by Twirling Candy. His fleet-footed dam, a stakes winner sprinting on the turf at Colonial Downs, was acquired by Arthur Hancock for $220,000 out of the blockbuster dispersal of the late Ned Evans’s Thoroughbred holdings held at Keeneland November in 2011. Baffert has had plenty of success already with emerging super stallion Quality Road, conditioning the likes of champion Abel Tasman and Klimt, named a ‘Rising Star’ in his own right before annexing the 2016 GII Best Pal S. and GI Del Mar Futurity here.