ARCADIA, Calif. - Despite appearing beaten in early stretch, Privman unleashed a sharp late rally to win Saturday’s $91,490 Tokyo City Cup at Santa Anita.
Privman ($3.80) won his first stakes in the Tokyo City Cup, beating three rivals in the one-mile race for 3-year-olds and older horses.
Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Privman trailed pacesetter Pony Express by three lengths with a furlong remaining and closed with a rush to reach the front well before the wire.
“He has a lot of talent, but he’s still figuring out how to run,” Hernandez said.
“I was asking him on the turn. As soon as we hit the stretch, he switched leads and took off. I had to work a little bit. He put it all together.”
Privman is named for retired Daily Racing Form national correspondent Jay Privman, who attended Saturday’s race.
A 3-year-old colt by Justify, Privman was timed in 1:36.21 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 99.
Pony Express (8-5) set a solid early pace of 22.71 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.79 for a half-mile. He seemed clear in early stretch, but began to shorten stride late.
Privman finished three-quarters of a length in front of Pony Express, who started for the first time on Saturday since a win by six lengths in an allowance race in June.
Gaming, winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity and second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in 2024, finished third, well clear of Mining District in the small field.
Privman, trained by Bob Baffert, won for the third time in his seventh start on Saturday.
Privman won a maiden race at a mile in his fourth start at Del Mar in July, and his debut against winners in an allowance race at a mile on Aug. 9. In his stakes debut, Privman was third by 4 3/4 lengths behind stablemate Nevada Beach in the Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 27.
“At Del Mar this summer, he really kind of figured it out,” Jay Privman said of Privman the colt. “You can see he’s still got a little bit of immaturity to him. But, hey, he got to the wire first and is only going to get better.
“It has really been a lot of fun.”
Owned by a partnership that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables, Privman has earned $230,098. He was purchased for $625,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
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