Baffert’s Authentic wins $1 million Haskell Stakes at Monmouth

Authentic gave Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert his record-extending ninth victory in the $1 million Haskell Stakes on Saturday, holding off late-charging Ny Traffic by a nose at Monmouth Park.

Jockey Mike Smith put the Santa Anita Derby runner-up on the lead at the start and they covered the 1 1/8-mile Grade 1 stakes in 1:50.46. The win was the third in four starts this year for the colt.

Belmont runner-up Dr. Post finished third under jockey Joe Bravo.

Smith, who made the trip in from the West Coast and had to pass a coronavirus test before gaining entrance to the track, broke Authentic from the No. 2 post and never lost the lead.

It might have been a going-away present for Baffert, who will start a 15-day suspension on Aug. 1. The Arkansas Racing Commission penalized him after two of his horses tested positive for a banned substance in races May 2.

Assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes saddled the colt on Saturday.

Baffert last won the Haskell in 2015 with American Pharoah, one of two colts he guided to the Triple Crown. Justify (2018) was the other.

Baffert’s other Haskell winners were in 2014 (Bayern), 2012 (Paynter), 2011 (Coil), 2010 (Lookin at Lucky), 2005 (Roman Ruler), 2002 (War Emblem) and 2001 (Point Given).

Authentic won his first three starts before finishing second to Honor A.P. in the Grade 1 race in California in his last start on June 6.

Ny Traffic, who finished second in the Matt Winn in Kentucky in his last start, came flying late and just could not catch Authentic before the finish line with Paco Lopez in the irons.

Authentic earned 100 points for the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5. The winner also earned a berth for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Authentic paid $3.20, $2.60 and $2.10. Ny Traffic returned $4.20 and $2.40, and Dr Post paid $2.10 to show.

▪ Seven-year-old Aquaphobia won his first career graded stakes race, overtaking Paret deep in the stretch to take the $300,000, Grade 1 United Nations Stakes at Monmouth for trainer Mike Maker.

Paret took second place and Corelli was third in a field of nine going 1 3/8 miles on the turf. Arklow, the favorite, ended up a distant fourth.

▪ Nay Lady Nay and jockey Paco Lopez burst through an opening between two contenders on the rail and one to her outside to win Saturday’s $150,000, Grade 3 WinStar Matchmaker Stakes at Monmouth.

Nay Lady Nay, the 5-2 second choice on the morning line, roared past pacesetters Valedictorian and Tapit Today to her left and the 2-1 favorite, Beautiful Lover, to her right, to take the 1 1/8-mile test on the turf by a half-length.

Beautiful Lover finished second with Feel Glorious third in a field of seven.

Nay Lady Nay, bred in Ireland and trained by Chad Brown, entered Saturday’s race off an eighth-place finish in the Old Forester Mint Julep Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 30, her only other start in 2020.

▪ Global Campaign and Jorge Vargas briefly gave up their racelong lead in the stretch run of the $300,000, Grade 3 Monmouth Cup Stakes but turned back the challenge of Bal Harbour and drew away late to win the 1 1/8-mile race on dirt for trainer Stan Hough.

Math Wizard got up late for second place, and Bal Harbour took third.

Global Campaign has now won five of his eight career races.

Saratoga highlights

You won’t see Decorated Invader in the Kentucky Derby this year, but he’s showing himself to be one of the top 3-year-olds in horse racing in 2020.

Decorated Invader entered Saturday’s National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday as the heavy favorite and did not disappoint, running past Get Smokin deep in the stretch for a 1 1/4-length victory in the 1 1/8-mile test under jockey Joel Rosario.

A turf specialist — the Kentucky Derby, of course, is run on the dirt — Decorated Invader has now won all three of his starts in 2020 after finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last fall. For his career, the Christophe Clement trainee has won five of his seven races.

Get Smokin held off Domestic Spending in a photo finish for second place in a five-horse field in Saturday’s $150,000, Grade 2 event on opening weekend at Saratoga.

▪ Belmont Stakes champion and Kentucky Derby points leader Tiz the Law breezed 5 furlongs in 59.63 seconds Saturday at Saratoga in preparation for the track’s Grade 1, $1 million Travers Stakes, a 1 1/4-mile test on Aug. 8.

“He came out nice and strong,” said Sackatoga Stables operations manager Jack Knowlton. “Obviously the new racetrack was no impediment for him, so it’s just one more step. We’ve got three weeks from today. He’ll have two more works and then we’re ready to go. You can see how fit he is.”

Bejarano lighting up Ellis

After stepping aside for a week to allow for a special Keeneland Summer Meet, Ellis Park resumed racing Friday, and jockey Rafael Bejarano made the day his own.

Bejarano, who won riding crowns at Ellis Park in 2003 and 2004 and has won 14 meet titles throughout Kentucky during his career, won three races Friday to go along with the five he captured during the meet’s opening week.

Bejarano won the first race on Sum Overture, the third on favored Into the Sunrise and the eighth on All West. That’s good for a meet-leading eight wins, to go along with three seconds and six thirds out of 30 starts.

“I’m really happy. I love this place,” Bejarano said. “It always was one of my favorite places here at Ellis Park. A lot of people just have to know me, just have to remember me.

“I’m really excited to see how it’s going to be ending at this meet. There are a lot of good riders here, a lot of competition. I’m looking forward to finding good horses, coming back to Kentucky and having a little more opportunity than there was in California.”

James Graham is second in the standings with five wins out of 18 mounts. He was unable to ride Friday because his COVID-19 test results did not come back in time. Jockeys and the jockey-room valets were required to have a negative COVID-19 test taken within the prior 48 hours.

This story was originally published July 18, 2020 at 6:00 PM.