Gaming © Benoit Photo
Pegram, Watson and Weitman’s Gaming, one of the “other” Bafferts in Sunday’s 77th edition of the Del Mar Futurity, proved plenty good enough under Flavien Prat and captured the Grade I sprint by a length and three quarters on closing day as the curtain rang down on Season 85 at the seaside oval.
The colt by Game Winner (who had won the Del Mar Futurity in 2018) raced seven furlongs in 1:23.02 and was the second choice among three runners trainer Bob Baffert had entered in the race. His victory was an amazing #18 in the Del Mar classic for the Hall of Fame conditioner, and it was also one of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen races, meaning the Gaming connections have $30,000 to put toward their entry of the horse in a Breeders’ Cup race.
The race favorite, another Baffert horse owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables and partners, was Citizen Bull, who finished third in the Futurity. The third Baffert horse, SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables and partners’ Getaway Car pulled in fourth.
Finishing second in the dash was Amestory, Amestory and Beasley’s McKinzie Street.
The winner earned $180,000 for his handiwork and now has a racing history that reads two starts, two wins and $225,000 in earnings. He has also earned the title of a Grade I winner.
The stakes victory in the race was the third for his rider, who came west from New York for the race following a record-breaking, stakes-winning run at Saratoga.
Earlier on the card, the juvenile colt Artislas, under Reylu Gutierrez, came on strong through the lane and came away a half-length winner in the $104,000 Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes.
The Grade III offering at a mile on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course drew 13 runners and Artislas sat mid-pack for most of the trip, then took to the task late to finish his run in 1:36.53. The son of Catalina Cruiser returned $17.20 to his $2 backers on the afternoon.
Artislas is owned by Irving Ventures, Arthur, Meathe and Tumanjan. The victory was his second in his second start and the $60,000 winner’s share pushed his bankroll to $105,000. He is trained by Jeff Mullins.
Finishing second in the test was George Sharp’s Sabertooth, who was a neck better than Nguyen or Tran’s Scipio.
Today was the final day of racing in the 85th summer season at the shore oval. The sport will resume for the track’s Bing Crosby Season starting on Thursday, October 31.
FLAVIEN PRAT (Gaming, winner) - “He relaxed well; he was a bit on his toes before the race so I kept him quiet. Very straightforward, and leveled out nice. Bob (trainer Baffert) just told me not to rush him and I thought I was in a good spot on my way around the corner. When he went off to his left lead I jumped on the bridle right away. After that I felt pretty much in control the whole way.”
JIMMY BARNES (Gaming, winner) – “You’re always concerned when you draw the one, two. But (Flavien) Prat, he’s smart. He let the other ones go. He let him drop back a little bit, picked a spot up the rail and to the outside and he was on his way. No game plan.”
FRACTIONS: :21.85 :44.35 1:09.71 1:23.02
The stakes win was the second on the meet for rider Prat and his third in the Del Mar Futurity. He now has 96 stakes wins at Del Mar, which ties him for fifth-best with Laffit Pincay, Jr.
The stakes win was the eight of the meeting for trainer Baffert and his 18 th in the Del Mar Futurity. He now has a record 176 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The winning owners are Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. Pegram has several different homes, including one in Del Mar. Watson and Weitman are from Tucson, AZ.