It's Baffert vs. O'Neill in Del Mar Futurity

If you could bet on trainers in the Sept. 7 Del Mar Futurity (G1), Del Mar would have to eliminate show betting. Only Bob Baffert and Doug O'Neill have entered horses in the seven-furlong race—Baffert in search of extending his record to 19 and O'Neill looking for his third win in the race. Both have used the Futurity as a springboard for exceptional accomplishments for their charges. Baffert's 18 include 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Silver Charm, and such other champions as Lookin At Lucky, Game Winner, and Midshipman. O'Neill's two—Nyquist and Stevie Wonderboy—both went on to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and be voted Eclipse Awards as the season's champion 2-year-old male. Baffert has O'Neill at a disadvantage, with four entrants to O'Neill's two. Several of the runners have already butted heads, from maiden races to Del Mar's major prep, the Aug. 9 Best Pal Stakes (G3). Despite the return of two from the Best Pal—first-place Desert Gate, trained by Baffert, and third-place Brigante, trained by O'Neill—Brant has attracted the most buzz. Also trained by Baffert, the son of Gun Runner cost owner Zedan Racing Stables $3 million at the Ocala Breeders' Sales March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, topping that sale. He also had the fastest preview time at the sale, breezing an eighth-mile in :09 3/5. Brant immediately lived up to that early hype, scoring in his July 26 debut by 5 1/4 lengths as the 4-5 favorite. Flavien Prat rode Brant in that first race and returns in the Futurity. "We've never really turned him loose in the mornings," Baffert said following Brant's debut. "We didn't want him to get too racy. But he ran like a professional today." Desert Gate is undefeated in two starts, won the Best Pal by 8 3/4 lengths, and has the services of leading Del Mar jockey Juan Hernandez. Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman own Desert Gate, buying the son of Omaha Beach in the name of Three Amigos for $260,000 at OBS March. "It's nice to see these horses develop like this," Baffert said of Desert Gate after the Best Pal. "This horse is very professional since day one." That owner/trainer combination has fared well in the Futurity. They won in 2024 with Gaming, 2022 with Cave Rock, 2011 with Drill, and 2009 with Lookin At Lucky. Baffert and Pegram also teamed up with Icecoldbeeratreds in 2002. Baffert-trained Litmus Test, an $875,000 yearling purchase at the 2024 The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale, by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables, races for them and several other partners. A son of Del Mar Futurity winner Nyquist, Litmus Test debuted Aug. 16 at Del Mar, winning by three-quarters of a length as the 11-10 choice. SF, Starlight, and Madaket head the partnership of the fourth Baffert entry, Balboa. The Not This Time colt was a $875,000 buy from the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for the group, and ran into Brant in his debut. Finishing third behind his stablemate and O'Neill Futurity entrant Civil Liberty, Balboa broke his maiden emphatically in his second start, winning by 7 3/4 lengths in a 6 1/2-furlong event at Del Mar Aug. 10. Several of the partners involved in Litmus Test and Balboa also teamed to win the Futurity in 2023 with Prince of Monaco and 2021 with Pinehurst. Brigante, a Calumet Farm homebred son of More Than Ready, is graded stakes-placed for O'Neill. Prior to the Best Pal, Brigante ran second in a June 1 maiden race at Santa Anita Park and thus is still a maiden. O'Neill's other entry is Civil Liberty, who has the distinction of costing the least of the five sale horses in the field. Not that he was inexpensive, bringing $160,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Second in Brant's race in his only attempt, Civil Liberty races for Great Friends Stables and Mark Davis. Great Friends formed so that several local fans could own some horses during the Del Mar meets. Former Del Mar executive Craig Dado heads up the partnership. Raging Torrent, initially owned by Great Friends and Davis, ran fourth in the 2023 Futurity and went on to capture the 2024 Malibu Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita, and this year's Godolphin Mile (G2) in Dubai and Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.