Desert Gate Favored to Give Baffert His 12th Best Pal

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert bids for his fourth straight victory in the Aug. 9 Best Pal Stakes (G3) at Del Mar with impressive maiden winner Desert Gate  and St. Petersburg, a $700,000 son of Constitution  . 

A son of the stakes-winning, graded stakes-placed Curlin   mare Theogony , Desert Gate was scooped up by the Three Amigos—owners Mike Pegram, Karl Wason, and Paul Weitman—after blazing an eighth-mile in :09 4/5 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale under tack show. The flashy chestnut looked well worth his $260,000 purchase price with his handy 2 1/4-length score on debut at Santa Anita Park June 5. 

"We thought he'd win first out," Baffert said. "He's come back and trained well. He's a cool horse."

Juan Hernandez is back aboard the fast-working colt from the far outside post in the short field of five 2-year-olds.

Baffert will also saddle SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables' St. Petersburg, who ran third to Best Pal rival Punto Forty  in his June 21 debut at Los Alamitos Race Course.  Baffert said the colt needed the race and was green.

If either Baffert trainee wins the six-furlong, $150,000 race, the conditioner, who achieved his first Best Pal win in 1998 with Worldly Manner, would take home an unprecedented 12th Best Pal trophy. 

Trainer Doug O'Neill sends out the three remaining entrants in Punto Forty, second-out victor Pavlovian , and Calumet homebred and debut runner-up finisher Brigante .