Baffert: McKinzie to Scratch from Bing Crosby Stakes

Trainer Bob Baffert said July 29 that he intends to scratch four-time grade 1 winner McKinzie from the $250,000 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) at Del Mar. The son of Street Sense  drew post 4 for the Aug. 1 sprint, a factor that the Hall of Fame trainer believes could adversely affect the horse's chances at victory based on what he's seen so far this season. 

"I didn't like what he drew," Baffert said. "He drew the inside, and this track hasn't been playing very good. It's been really deep and loose. If it would have been a shorter field and he drew outside, we would have maybe taken a chance at it because he needs to get pace around there. But right now it's playing sort of weird."

Owned by Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman, 5-year-old McKinzie is the highweight in the Bing Crosby at 124 pounds. Nine other runners have entered the field, including multiple graded stakes winners Law Abidin Citizen and Collusion Illusion, as well as graded stakes winners Wildman Jack and Lexitonian. 

The six-furlong Bing Crosby would be the shortest distance ever contested by McKinzie, who has earned graded wins from seven furlongs to 1 1/8 miles. McKinzie's only victory of 2020 came June 7 in the Triple Bend Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park. He most recently finished fifth in the July 4 Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park. His career highlights include the 2019 Whitney Stakes (G1), the 2018 Malibu Stakes (G1) and Pennsylvania Derby (G1), and the 2017 Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity (G1).

The Bing Crosby is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series and awards the winner an automatic berth into the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Keeneland.

Baffert said in all likelihood he will wait to run McKinzie down the line, with possible targets being the Aug. 29 Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) at Del Mar or the Sept. 5 Woodward Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. The Pat O'Brien offers an automatic berth into the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).