Keeneland Presents American Graded Stakes Standings: Juvenile Winners Add To Baffert’s Bountiful Year

Of the three graded stakes races on the schedule last weekend, two were Grade 1 races for juveniles – and both were won by horses trained by Bob Baffert.

The promising colt McKinzie had a little help from the stewards when he was promoted from second to first in the G1 Los Alamitos Futurity. Ironically, the colt that was disqualified from the win, Solomini, was also a Baffert trainee. A short time later, another Baffert youngster, Dream Tree, remained undefeated in three starts with her victory in the G1 Starlet.

McKinzie and Dream Tree became the 17th and 18th individual graded stakes winners of the year for Baffert, moving him back into third on the American Graded Stakes Standings trainer list. Baffert’s 18 graded stakes winners have captured a total of 30 graded stakes races this season.

Baffert finds himself just ahead of Mark Casse, who saddled winner Leavem In Malibu in the G3 Valedictory Stakes at Woodbine. Casse also has 18 individual graded stakes winners this year; those runners have won a total of 26 graded stakes.

Of Baffert’s graded stakes wins, 14 have come in G1 races; Casse runners have notched seven G1 wins.

By Mary Schweitzer

Phoenix Thoroughbred III’s Dream Tree and jockey Drayden Van Dyke win the Grade I $300,000 Starlet Stakes Saturday, December 9, 2017, Los Alamitos Race Course, Cypress, CA. Hall of Famer Bob Baffert trained both Grade I winners Saturday, in addition to Dream Tree, he won the Grade I $300,000 Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity, one race earlier, with McKinzie , who was move up from second to first following the disqualification of Solomini, also trained by Baffert. ©Benoit Photo

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