Trainer Bob Baffert is having a very, very big day today.
Following highly impressive victories by Paynter and Mamma Kimbo at Santa Anita Park, another Baffert-trainee found the winners circle, this time in a one-mile maiden special weight for three-year-olds at Golden Gate Fields. The winner -- whose name should be remembered carefully -- is Midnight Crooner. This colt looks like a serious runner to me.
Ridden to victory by Corey Nakatani, the colt got off to a good beginning and raced away to take the early lead while setting a moderate pace of :23.65 and :48.40. Longshot Redmond Rose was sitting in second, while favored The Roan Ranger was toward the rear of the field.
Rounding the far turn, Midnight Crooner put away Redmond Rose to take over a clear lead, but The Roan Ranger was making on eye-catching move on the far outside that carried him right into contention -- for second place. In the meantime, Midnight Crooner had opened up on the field and was pulling away decisively to win by at least seven or eight lengths in the end. The Roan Ranger did indeed finish second, but was never a threat to the runaway winner. He's Cagey and Pepnic completed the superfecta.
What was especially impressive about Midnight Crooner's victory was his final fractions. After running three-quarters of a mile in 1:13.20, he turned in a :12.05 eighth of a mile to put the field away, then closed his final eighth in a remarkable :12.29 to complete the race in 1:37.54.
Midnight Crooner, a son of War Chant out of Midnight Kiss, is owned by Arnold Zetcher.
-Keelerman
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