Baffert Runners Set Marks at Los Alamitos
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Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, owner Kaleem Shah, and jockey Martin Garcia combined to set a pair of track records at Los Alamitos Race Course Dec. 11.
Three races after Bernster returned from a layoff of nearly 36 months to break his maiden while establishing a new standard for six furlongs , favored Sweet Marini ($3.80) broke the record for 5 1/2 furlongs while toying with her half-dozen rivals in the $55,056 allowance/optional claiming feature .
With a new one-mile oval, Los Alamitos is in its first season of conducting a full-time Thoroughbred meet.
Making her first local appearance, the 4-year-old gray daughter of Marino Marini and the In Excess mare Excessing was never far off the pace in the optional claimer, then asserted her superiority late to win by 3 1/2 lengths.
In winning for the fourth time in 11 starts—and second in four races on dirt—the 9-10 favorite completed the distance in 1:01.95, bettering the previous record of 1:02.51 set by Senator Bob July 10.
Earlier Bernster ($6), a $320,000 purchase at the 2010 Keeneland September sale, made his first start since finishing second behind Midnight Transfer Dec. 26, 2011, opening day of the 2011-2012 winter/spring meet at Santa Anita Park.
Showing good speed from the outset, the 5-year-old son of Storm Cat and the Waquoit mare Halo America won by 1 1/4 lengths as the 2-1 favorite while completing the trip in 1:08.18. The previous mark of 1:08.40 was set by Seeking the Sherif when he won the Katella Stakes Sept. 20.