Baffert 1-2 in G3 Las Flores

Saturday | April 02, 2011

Bob Baffert saddled the top two finishers in the $100,000 Las Flores (G3) at Santa Anita on April 2 (VIDEO). It was Baffert’s second win in the Las Flores; he took the 2006 running with Behaving Badly.

Baffert had three starters in this year’s renewal, and the speedy Mother Ruth cut fast fractions of :21.97 and :44.45 for the first half-mile of the 6 1/2-furlongs. The field started to gain on Mother Ruth coming to the stretch, with Baffert’s Subsidized the first to mount a challenge. The third of the Baffert trio, Gilded Gem, was moving best of all, rolling from the back of the field to gain the lead at the sixteenth pole. The 5-year-old mare kept to the task to win by 1 1/4-lengths over Subsidized in a time of 1:15.22.

“I’ve ridden her before and I moved a little early last time,” said winning rider Joel Rosario. “Today I took my time and she responded well. She’s the kind of horse that wants to come from a little bit off the pace. I just let her relax and find her stride.”

“I thought Mother Ruth was going to keep going but she started getting tired at the end,” Baffert said. “Gilded Gem likes to sit way back there. Rosario fits her well. He’s a very patient rider. She comes running late and ran them all down.

“The other filly (Subsidized) ran well to get up for second. We’d have liked to be one, two, three, but we’ll take it at one-two.”

Baffert also indicated that the Grade 1 Humana Distaff, May 7 at Churchill Downs, could be the next start for Gilded Gem.

The Las Flores was the fourth win in 10 starts for Gilded Gem, who also has four seconds. Her career earnings stand at $223,800.

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