Patience Pays Off With Salty

The well-named Salty may be short on experience, but she’s long on potential. The 3-year-old Quality Road   filly will be making another leap in class in the $1 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) in just her fourth career start.

Salty has made solid progress despite a slow start to her racing career. She just broke her maiden in her second start March 5 at Gulfstream Park. Her next outing was the Gulfstream Oaks (G2) and the bay filly blew the field away by 4 1/4 lengths, giving her connections thoughts of the May 5 Oaks.

Chris Baccari, who runs Baccari Bloodstock and owns Seclusive Farm near Lexington, bred and raised Salty along with longtime partner Chester Prince’s Prince Farm. They race her with Gary Barber, who bought into the filly after she ran second in her Feb. 4 debut at Gulfstream Park.

“As a yearling I thought it would be better to take our time with her,” Baccari said. “Usually I send my yearlings to Florida, but with her I wanted to take it easy and I sent her to Blackwood Farm (in Kentucky to be broken). There were a lot of things happening with her dam (Theycallmeladyluck) and we were going to breed her to American Pharoah  , so I wanted to do everything I could to make it work.”

Baccari Bloodstock paid $60,000 for Theycallmeladyluck at the 2009 Keeneland November sale, where she was consigned by Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency. Bred by William S. Farish, she won a pair of her 10 starts on the track. After three starts in Southern California, she was shipped to the Midwest where she tested stakes company twice, finishing third in Canterbury Park’s Hoist Her Flag Stakes in the summer of 2009.

“I’ve always had high expectations for Theycallmeladyluck,” Baccari said. “We sold her second foal, a colt by Speightstown  , for $500,000. He was Speightstown’s highest-priced yearling in that crop, so she had the ability to throw a big horse. She did have race talent, she just got hurt early in her race career. When she was at Oaklawn Park (in the winter of 2009) the owners turned down a huge amount of money for her. She had that ability to have brilliance about her.”

Baccari eventually sent Salty to trainer Ian Wilkes.

“He did a wonderful job of developing her,” Baccari said.

While Salty didn’t win first time out, she was only beaten a neck going six furlongs Feb. 4. The phone started ringing.

“Everybody respects Ian as a trainer and they know once his horses get good, they stay good,” Baccari said. “She’d been working very well at Palm Meadows all winter. I think a lot of people knew about her.”

Barber called, and a deal was made. Part of the stipulation was that Salty would move to Mark Casse's barn. Casse put the filly right into a seven-furlong maiden race, and Salty drew off by 2 1/2 lengths. The Gulfstream Oaks followed, and then a trip to Churchill Downs. It’s been a quick progression.

“I was worried about going from a maiden race to two turns,” Baccari professed, “but her speed figures were so good…and how fast she came home. That is what has made everything work."

As for the Oaks, the bench is deep, but Baccari and team are preparing for the best.

“I think her prospects are very good,” he said. “I went to Churchill when she got here and I was surprised that her weight had stayed so well. She’s even developed a bit more than she had earlier. That’s always a ‘tell’ sign for me. Training can get to a lot of horses—not from a soundness standpoint, but from a physical point.

“Even after her last work (four furlongs in :48 2/5 April 28), she actually looks more filled out. She’s gained some condition," he added.

“Everything is going the right way. Mark’s done an outstanding job finishing her off. In this situation it’s been a very good, winning team combination.”