Hope Road © Benoit Photo
Cicero Farms’ Hope Road, the 1-2 favorite under jockey Juan Hernandez, took command easily on the far turn and breezed to an impressive five length triumph Saturday at Del Mar in the $150,000 guaranteed Torrey Pines Stakes for three-year-old fillies.
The Torrey Pines Stakes is one of four stakes on the undercard of the Grade I $1 Million FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic.
Scoring her third consecutive victory, Hope Road, a daughter of Quality Road trained by Bob Baffert, stepped the one mile on the main track in 1:36.15 to earn first money of $90,000 and increase her bankroll to $198,020. She paid $3 to win.
A distant runner-up in the field of six fillies was Nothing Like You, also trained by Baffert, with Grand Slam Smile third. Withdrawn from the contest were Simply Enchanted and Omaha Girl.
Baffert and Hernandez also combined to win the day’s first race with Non Compliant.
JUAN HERNANDEZ (Hope Road, winner) – “She is a really smart and sharp filly. All the credit goes to Bob (Baffert) and this Filly, they make a really good team. Today I was just the pilot. I saw the leader go and sat right next to them. (Hope Road) really surprised me today, you know, she is really quick but she settled down really well today behind the pace. I was waiting for her to hit the quarter pole but I got attacked around the half mile, so I had to make my move a little early. But you know she responded really well; all congrats go to her”.
BOB BAFFERT (Hope Road, winner) – “I knew there was a lot of speed in the race. You don’t know until they do it but at the three-eighths pole I thought she’ll get it. She settled very nice. Juan (Hernandez) rides these horses with so much confidence I don’t say anything to him. So he’s on his own. “
FRACTIONS: :21.70 :45.31 1:10.67 1:23.11 1:36.15
The stakes win is the fifth of the meeting for rider Hernandez and his first in the Torrey Pines. He now has 49 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The stakes win is the fourth of the meet for trainer Baffert and his eighth in the Torrey Pines. He now has an ever-expanding record 172 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The winning owner, Cicero Farms, is Barbara Ranc Perry from Rancho Santa Fe, CA.