Rolling Fog proves best in Del Mar Futurity

Rolling Fog's strong finish propelled the 2-year-old colt to victory in the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity (G1) on closing day of the 2012 Del Mar meet. Baffert has a remarkable 11 winners in the meet's feature race for juveniles.

Breaking from post 9 in the 11 horse field, Rolling Fog pressured Caballa Del Cielo through a :45.89 opening half mile. When Rafael Bejarano gave his colt his head, he forged to the front then comfortably held off the post-time favorite Know More by a length and a quarter. The winner covered the seven furlongs in 1:22.96.

"This horse had been training so great and today he ran to it,” said Bejarano. "The distance was a bit of a question in my mind with him, but now I see he can handle it. In fact, I think he'll go longer. A really good race for him. He's a nice horse. A very nice horse.

Florida-bred Rolling Fog, by Posse, broke his maiden by 2 1/4-lengths Aug. 4 at Del Mar, getting the 5 1/2-furlongs in 1:04.65 in his debut. Zetcher bought Rolling For for $62,000 from the OBS Spring 2-year-old sale this past April.

"This horse was ready to run when we left Santa Anita," assistant trainer Jim Barnes said. "He was one of our top horses when we left Santa Anita but we got down here and worked him a couple of times and he was struggling with the track a bit. (But) he just kept improving on this track and he really likes dirt, I know that. Look for better things from him in the future."

With the $180,000 winner's share of the Futurity purse, Rolling Fog has earned $222,000 in his two starts.

Baffert's first win in the Futurity came in 1996 with Silver Charm, who would go on to win the Kentucky Derby (G1) the next year. Silver Charm started a streak of seven straight Futurity wins for the trainer. He has now won four of the last five renewals, but this year's running was a first for Zetcher.