Skip to content Skip to footer

March grads Klimt, Big League one-two in Del Mar’s Best Pal Stakes

Kaleem Shah's Klimt and jockey Rafael Bejarano win the Grade II,    $200, 00 Best Pal Stakes, Saturday, August 13, 2016 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Del Mar CA. © BENOIT PHOTO
© BENOIT PHOTO

Kaleem Shah’s Klimt tracked pace-setting fellow OBS graduate Big League (March ’16) in the early going of Saturday’s $200,000 Best Pal Stakes (G2) at Del Mar and then went after him on the turn. The pair raced as a team down the stretch into the final furlong before Klimt proved best, easing away in the final yards to win by 2-1/4 lengths. It’s the second win in three starts for the 2-year-old colt by Quality Road, trained by Bob Baffert, who has earned $156,960 to date. He was purchased for $435,000 by Bob Baffert on Mr. Shah’s behalf out of the Eddie Woods consignment at the 2016 March Sale after speeding a quarter in :20 4/5 at the Under Tack Show. watch his under tack video

Great Point Stables’ Noble Beauty was awarded victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Pucker Up Stakes (G3) at Arlington Park via the disqualification of fellow OBS graduate Try Your Luck (October ’15), placed third by the stewards for interference in the stretch. It’s the first stakes win for the 3-year-old filly by Kitten’s Joy, whose stretch charge left her a nose short of Try Your Luck at the wire. Trained by Chad Brown, the win gives her a 5-2-2-0 record and earnings of $127,350. She was consigned by Eddie Woods, Agent, to the 2015 April Sale, where she breezed an Under Tack quarter in :21 2/5 before going through the ring. watch her under tack video

Kagele Brothers, Inc., Ernest Marchosky, Ken Shaw and Lo Hi Stable’s Why Two picked up his second stakes victory in the $84,535 Green Flash Stakes at Del Mar, rallying to take command in the final sixteenth and easing away late to win by a length and a quarter. The 4-year-old son of Bob and John, trained by Mike Machowsky, is now 11-4-0-1 and has earned $210,665. He was purchased by his trainer for $120,000 out of the Niall Brennan Stables consignment at the 2014 OBS April Sale after turning in an eighth in :10 flat a the Under Tack Show.  watch his under tack video

Driver, Ywachetta and Travis’ Rivers Run Deep won Thistledown’s $75,000 Honey Jay Stakes for the third straight time on Saturday, taking command a furlong from home and drawing away to win by a length and a half. It’s the ninth stakes victory for the 5-year-old son of Ready’s Image, trained by Chris Hartman, who worked an Under Tack eighth in :10 flat before he was purchased for $77,000 by Garry Simms, Agent for James Driver, out of the Rod McVey consignment at the 2013 OBS June Sale. Now 28-13-8-3, he has earned $742,540 to date. watch his under tack video