Cave Rock and Havnameltdown gave the Bob Baffert barn a 1-2 finish in Sunday’s $300,000 Del Mar Futurity (G1), a record 16th time Baffert has won the track’s feature event for 2-year-olds.
Both Cave Rock and Havnameltdown are owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman.
Cave Rock broke a bit awkwardly, but quickly hustled up to take the lead in the first furlong. Havnameltdown went right with his stablemate and was within a length after a half-mile that went in a very swift :43.65.
Cave Rock began to get the better of it turning for home and didn’t let up in the stretch, winning by 5 ¼ lengths. Havnameltdown was a similar margin ahead of the third-place horse Skinner.
The final time of 1:20.99 broke the stakes record set by Declan’s Moon in 2014 and was less than a second off the track record.
“He broke a step slow, but then he got right in gear and made the running,” said winning rider Juan Hernandez. “I tried to slow him down some, but he wasn’t having it. So I just let him go on and do his thing. When we hit the quarter pole, I asked him and he changed leads and took off. He just wanted to go. He’s something.”
Undefeated in his two starts, Cave Rock has earned $228,000. He is a son of the brilliant champion Arrogate, who Baffert trained as well.
With the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) looming in early November at Keeneland, Cave Rock and Havnameltdown could both train up to the race or potentially make one more start prior to shipping to Kentucky.