Improbable Scores First Win of 2019 in Shared Belief
Image:
Description:
Photo: Benoit Photo
Improbable wins the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar
WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, and Starlight Racing's Improbable returned an easy winner Aug. 25, drawing clear to take Del Mar's $98,000 Shared Belief Stakes under Drayden Van Dyke.
Sunday's seaside oval feature was the first win in five starts this year for Improbable, who was last seen in the first two legs of the Triple Crown. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert had blinkers back on the City Zip colt, who also donned them when he finished second in the Arkansas Derby (G1).
"I put the blinkers back on him and told Drayden to send him," Baffert said. "He got a little tough on the first turn, but I think that's how he wants to run. Just let him go. I was really happy with it. It took him a little while to come back and get used to this track. I still thought, even after his last work, that he wasn't quite ready. But his class carried him."
The flashy chestnut was bet down to even money against three other sophomores. After an even break, Lieutenant Dan took the lead and set opening quarter-mile fractions of :23.17 and :46.63. Improbable was never more than half a length away, with King Jack and Street Class rounding out the field.
Improbable shortened Lieutenant Dan's margin to a head halfway through the race and was a length in front as three-quarters went in 1:10.75. Van Dyke shook the reins and Improbable opened up in the stretch without a threat. The favorite cruised to a 2 3/4-length victory, completing the mile in 1:37.53 on a fast main track.
"We were wanting to get him to break good and get position, and he did that," Van Dyke said. "He was a little more aggressive today; Bob told me he put a bigger blinker on him today, and he might be that way. I was working with him on the backside; it's give and take (rating a horse that wants to go). But he got to where he needed to be, then put in a very nice finish. He's a nice horse."
King Jack was up for second, finishing 6 1/4 lengths ahead of Lieutenant Dan. Street Class was fourth.
Improbable was undefeated in three starts at 2, winning the Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs and Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity (G1) back West. He opened his season at Oaklawn Park with runner-up efforts in a division of the Rebel Stakes (G2) and the Arkansas Derby before running fourth and sixth, respectively, in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1).
Bred in Kentucky by St. George Farm and G. Watts Humphrey Jr., Improbable is the first foal out of the winning A.P. Indy mare Rare Event, who foaled a Cross Traffic colt April 29. Rare Event's dam, the stakes-winning Stravinsky mare Our Rite of Spring, is a half sister to grade 1 winner and Darley sire Hard Spun .
Maverick Racing, WinStar's racing arm, and China Horse Club went to $200,000 to purchase Improbable from Taylor Made Sales Agency's consignment to the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. As an agent, Taylor Made first purchased the colt for $110,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale when he was consigned by Lane's End as a weanling.
The Shared Belief boosted Improbable's race record to 4-2-0 in eight starts and increased his earnings to $829,520.