ARCADIA, Calif. - Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert went to his deep roster of 3-year-olds to win Saturday’s Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita with the lightly raced Nevada Beach.
In doing so, Baffert found an unexpected candidate for the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at 1 1/4 miles at Del Mar on Nov. 1.
Nevada Beach won his first start in a graded stakes in the $300,500 Goodwood at 1 1/8 miles in his fourth appearance. He has never been tried at 1 1/4 miles, but that was not a concern for Baffert on Sunday morning.
“As of today, we’ll run him in the Breeders’ Cup” Classic," Baffert said. “He was just getting going at the end.”
Nevada Beach ($19) closed from fourth of six to challenge 1-2 favorite Full Serrano on the turn. The pair ran as a team in early stretch before Nevada Beach pulled clear to win by 1 1/2 lengths.
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Nevada Beach, an Omaha Beach colt who races for the partnership of Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, was purchased for $260,000 as a yearling at Keeneland in 2023.
Nevada Beach won his debut in a maiden race at a mile at Santa Anita on April 19, but was second as the 3-5 favorite to stablemate Gaming in the minor Affirmed Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on June 8.
Nevada Beach was a convincing winner of the $100,000 Los Alamitos Derby at 1 1/8 miles on June 28. Following that race, Baffert said he would consider Nevada Beach for the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga in August, and later thought about the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing. Nevada Beach did not start in either race.
“We’ve always thought highly of him,” Baffert said. “It took awhile. It took patience.”
The list of probable starters for the BC Classic has depth, including the first three finishers from last year’s race – Sierra Leone, Fierceness and Forever Young; and three of the nation’s three leading 3-year-olds in Sovereignty, Journalism and Baeza.
Baffert is eager to take a chance with Nevada Beach.
“It’s lining up to be one of the best Breeders’ Cup Classics we’ve seen in years,” he said. “The 3-year-olds are really good.”
Full Serrano will start in the BC Dirt Mile on Nov. 1, a race he won last year, trainer John Sadler confirmed on Sunday.
The Goodwood Stakes was Full Serrano’s second start of the year, preceded by an easy win in an allowance race at a mile at Del Mar on Sept. 1.
“We’re not hanging our heads,” Sadler said. “He got beat, but we thought he ran well.
“It takes us out of the consideration for the Classic. He’ll run in the Dirt Mile. Visually, while watching the race, I thought he likes Del Mar a little better.”
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