Muth , who topped the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s March 2-year-old sale, faces four other 2-year-olds, including Prince of Monaco , another high-priced colt in his own barn, in the Aug. 13 Best Pal Stakes (G2) at Del Mar. Bob Baffert trains Muth and Prince of Monaco.
Muth cost $2 million as a 2-year-old, and Prince of Monaco sold for $950,000 as a yearling at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select sale, setting expectations exceedingly high. Both came through in their debuts, Muth winning at Santa Anita June 18 by 8 3/4 lengths and Prince of Monaco winning by eight lengths at Los Alamitos July 9.
Donato Lanni bought Muth at the OBS sale for Zedan Racing Stables. Don Alberto Corporation bred the son of Good Magic in Kentucky, and Muth impressed potential buyers at the sale when he breezed a furlong in :09 3/5, co-fastest time of the under-tack show.
Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings bred Prince of Monaco, a son of Speightstown , and has remained a partner in the colt in a large partnership group headed by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables. Those three purchased Prince of Monaco at the Saratoga sale.
During Del Mar, Baffert typically unveils many of his promising 2-year-olds, often through the Best Pal, which the trainer has won nine times. The race is a prep for the Del Mar Futurity (G1), this year scheduled for closing day, Sept. 10.
“We just let them develop on their own,” Baffert said at the beginning of the Del Mar meet about his 2-year-olds. “Some can win early. You just don’t know until you run them. They come in waves for getting ready so some will get ready right away, some it takes longer. We don’t push them.”
Muth, who drew post 4, will have the services of jockey Juan Hernandez, who rode both Baffert horses in their debuts. Flavien Prat will ride Prince of Monaco from post 5.
Tranche , a 7 1/4-length winner of the June 17 Fasig-Tipton Futurity at Santa Anita, is the most seasoned of the Best Pal field. Unplaced at Keeneland in his debut April 7, he finished third in the May 4 Kentucky Juvenile Stakes at Churchill Downs. William Peeples bought the son of Collected for $210,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale, and Luis Mendez trains the colt, who is to be ridden by Edwin Maldonado from post 2.
Raging Torrent , with Antonio Fresu scheduled to ride from the rail, debuted at Del Mar, breaking his maiden by 2 1/4 lengths July 23. Doug O’Neill trains the Maximus Mischief colt for Great Friends Stables and Mark Davis. Davis purchased Raging Torrent for $75,000 at the 2023 OBS spring sale of 2-year-olds.
Who Is Pavel is the lone homebred in the Best Pal field, Edward Freeman training him for owner/breeder Reddam Racing. Who Is Pavel is a son of Pavel , who stands at Paul and Zillah Reddam’s Ocean Breeze Ranch in Bonsall, Calif., and who has already had two winners in this, his first crop. Who Is Pavel finished fifth in his debut with a wide trip. Mario Gutierrez is listed to ride from post 3.
Who Is Pavel is also the only California-bred in the field for a race named after one of the top horses produced in the state. Best Pal won the race in 1990, when it was called the Balboa Stakes. It was renamed for Best Pal in 1996.
Entries: Best Pal S. (G3)
Del Mar, Sunday, August 13, 2023, Race 4
- Grade III
- 6f
- Dirt
- $200,000
- 2 yo
- 3:30 PM (local)
