DEL MAR, Calif.— Del Mar is known as the place where many champion horses got their start. American Pharoah, Silver Charm, Bertrando and Life Is Good, a candidate for Horse of the Year in 2022. All started their racing careers at Del Mar, some even went on to win the Del Mar Futurity.
You never know when that next superstar will emerge but sometimes you get a heads up. Enter Hejazi, a 2-year-old son of Bernardini by the Medaglia d’Oro mare, G Note, out of the barn of Bob Baffert. This colt hasn’t even raced, yet he is already attracting attention. That’s because at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale earlier this year, Zedan Racing, the connections that brought you Medina Spirit, bought Hejazi for $3.5 million.
“We’re still waiting to see if the check cleared yet,” trainer Bob Baffert joked. “He’s a nice horse. At the sale he was sort of a standout, he’s bred really well and he’s been working well here so we’re looking forward to his race.”
Hejazi is entered to make his debut against seven other rivals in the fifth race Saturday, a maiden special weight.
“I like to see him run,” Baffert says. “They can be working well but you got to see them run. So far, he’s shown that he has the talent so it’ll be exciting.”
Hejazi has worked eight times since June, the last a five furlong bullet work in :59.00 on the same track he’ll be running on this weekend.
Baffert already has enjoyed success with several of his 2-year-olds at Del Mar. Six of his ‘youngsters’ have crossed the finish line first this summer, helping to lift Baffert to the top of the trainer standings.
Notes: Country Grammer continues to do well for trainer Bob Baffert who says, “all systems are go for the Pacific Classic.” Baffert believes his Dubai World Cup winner and runner-up last out in the G2 San Diego will enjoy the 1 ¼ mile of the TVG Pacific Classic on September 3…The third annual CARMAthon is underway and continues through Saturday. The California Retirement Management Account is taking donations this weekend to help with its grant program, which assists more than 20 Thoroughbred aftercare charities. Donations can be made on the CARMA website…Notable works for Friday: Dirt – Forbidden Kingdom (3f, :37.40); Big City Lights (4f, :48.40); Carmelita’s Man (4f, :50.40); Finneus (4f, :50.00); Grace Adler (4f, :47.20); Bran (5f, :59.80); Fashionably Fast (5f, 1:00.40); Laurel River (5f, 1:00.60), and Heywoods Beach (6f, 1:12.80). A total of 170 horses put in official works Friday.
DMTC Press Release
Photo: Hejazi working at Del Mar August 16th, 2022 (Ernie Belmonte)
