Run Away Heads Del Mar Futurity for Shah

Owner Kaleem Shah is hoping for a sense of déjà vu Sept. 4 at Del Mar, where his Best Pal Stakes (G2) winner Run Away will head postward as the starting highweight in the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity (G1).

Last year Shah and Hall of Famer Bob Baffert teamed up to sweep Del Mar's major stakes for 2-year-olds—the Best Pal and the Futurity—with Klimt. The two parted ways at the end of 2016, so Shah will take on his old trainer with the Simon Callaghan-conditioned Run Away, a Run Away and Hide  colt purchased for $325,000 from Wavertree Stables' consignment to the 2017 Barretts selected March 2-year-olds in training sale.

Baffert has both ends of the seven-furlong Futurity covered with Zayat Stables' Midnight Lute  colt Zatter departing the outside post under Rafael Bejarano, and BCKH Stable and wife Jill Baffert's Indiana-bred Soul Streit leaving from the rail with Mike Smith aboard. Zatter was consigned by Warrendale Sales at the 2016 Keeneland September yearling sale, where he was acquired for $160,000. Soul Streit, by Maclean's Music , was a $85,000 buy from Darby Dan Farm's consignment to the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall 2016 yearling sale. 

Should Run Away take down his eight juvenile opponents, it would mark the third consecutive Best Pal-Futurity sweep, on the heels of Klimt's run and the 2015 sweep of eventual Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Nyquist . Eventual Triple Crown winner American Pharoah  also won the Del Mar Futurity, but came in as a maiden to get the job done.

Run Away will put a perfect record on the line when he leaves post 3 with Flavien Prat as part of a 123-pound impost.

"(Buying) Klimt, I was there but Bob selected the horse," Shah said. "(Buying) Run Away, I was there and my son (Arman) and I selected the horse. Most of my success has come from 2-year-old in training sales. I prefer them because at least you can see them run a little bit.

"Athleticism is the main thing. Conformation has to be reasonably good. But generally a well-conformed horse is very athletic."

Run Away showed the traits Shah looks for in a young horse at the sale, and has continued to improve with each race.

"He was very athletic and he had a very powerful hind end, which is typically a sign of a horse with a good engine," Shah said of his Barretts impressions. "He was very fluid in his moving. I hope he continues to improve and stays healthy."

Callaghan considers the Best Pal to be Run Away's best race to date, and Shah concurred.

"I thought he did it effortlessly," Shah said. "Obviously, there'll be better horses in the Futurity and even better in races further on. So, I hope and pray he continues to improve but three-for-three has got me dreaming."

Both Zatter and Soul Streit have one start and one win under their girths, each excelling in maiden special weight company at first asking in August at Del Mar. 

The three who finished behind Run Away in the Best Pal will also take another shot; Holly and David Wilson's Dia de Pago rallied three-wide in the 6 1/2 furlong test but finished second by 3 1/2 lengths; Fleetwood put in a closing run to wind up third and best of the rest for Big Chief Racing, Rocker O Ranch, and Keith Desormeaux; and M Racing Group's Master Ruler wound up fourth after breaking inward but lacking a strong rally.

The remaining three are last-out winners Tatters to Riches, Bolt d'Oro, and Gracida, all of which are perfect in one start.

Entries: Del Mar Futurity (G1)

Del Mar, Monday, September 04, 2017, Race 8

• Grade I
• 7f
• Dirt
• $300,000
• 2 yo
• 5:36 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Soul Streit (IN)	Mike E. Smith	120	Bob Baffert	4/1
2	2Master Ruler (FL)	Evin A. Roman	118	John W. Sadler	20/1
3	3Run Away (KY)	Flavien Prat	123	Simon Callaghan	5/2
4	4Tatters to Riches (KY)	Tyler Baze	120	Jeff Mullins	4/1
5	5Fleetwood (KY)	Kent J. Desormeaux	118	J. Keith Desormeaux	20/1
6	6Bolt d'Oro (KY)	Corey S. Nakatani	120	Mick Ruis	6/1
7	7Gracida (LA)	Victor Espinoza	120	Doug F. O'Neill	12/1
8	8Dia de Pago (KY)	Santiago Gonzalez	118	Vladimir Cerin	12/1
9	9Zatter (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	120	Bob Baffert	7/2