Cupid © Benoit Photo

Odds-on favored Cupid, unraced since winning the Grade I Gold Cup at Santa Anita almost three months ago, returned to action Wednesday with a workmanlike victory in the featured $81,150 Harry F. Brubaker Stakes at Del Mar.

The gray son of Tapit, piloted by Rafael Bejarano, rallied to the front turning into the stretch and was under only mild encouragement to the wire as he scored by three-quarters of a length in 1:36.41 for the mile on the main dirt track.

Curlin Rules, ridden by Flavien Prat , was a game runner-up, two and one-half lengths head of Soi Phet, with Dressed in Hermes fourth in the field of five older horses. Win the Space completed the line-up. Withdrawn from the race were El Huerfano and Forever Juanito.

Sent to the gate at 2-5, the Bob Baffert-trained colt returned $2.80, $2.20 and $2.10 after his sixth triumph in only eleven starts. First money of $47,070 increased Cupid’s earnings to $1,683,873. Curlin Rules paid $2.60 and $2.20, while Soi Phet returned $2.80 to show.

Baffert said Cupid will run next in either the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita or the Jockey Club Gold Cup in New York. He also has Pacific Classic winner Collected and North American leading money-winner Arrogate, the Pacific Classic runner-up, pointing toward the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday, Nov. 4 at Del Mar.

There were 16 perfect tickets in Wednesday’s Pick Six and each was worth $36,237. The carryover from last Sunday was $147,012 which added to ”new” money wagered Wednesday produced a total Pick Six pool of $929,986.