Farma Way’s Turf Debut Is a $19.80 Winner

The Santa Anita Derby may still be in Farma Way’s future.

A relative bust since he followed Grand Canyon home in the Hollywood Futurity, the 3-year-old son of Marfa made some repairs to his reputation with a victory over 29-1 shot Iam the Iceman in the $86,725 Baldwin Stakes Wednesday at Santa Anita.

A distant fourth in the San Felipe Handicap 10 days earlier, Farma Way rallied in his first try on the turf, getting up in the final strides to win by a nose in 1:13 4/5 for about 6 1/2 furlongs.

“I had all the confidence he would handle the grass,” trainer Neil Boyce said. “He has a big, flat foot and was looking for a surface he wanted. The other track was cupping out. We’re going to stay on a track that will hold. We’ll decide and see about the Santa Anita Derby in a couple of days.

“If not the Santa Anita Derby, he’ll go to Keeneland. I was very disappointed with him at this meet, but he ran today like a horse is supposed to. He ran on a surface he likes.”

Actually, Farma Way wasn’t too crazy about the grass, according to regular rider Ray Sibille.

“He was stumbling and bobbling the whole way,” he said after the $19.80 surprise. “I’ve thought all along he was a Derby horse. . . . He’s had an excuse every time, but people get tired of hearing that.

“I still think he’ll go long. I know he couldn’t handle the main track before, but they added the peat moss the other day, and when I worked him on it, he handled it great.”

The third-longest shot in the field of 12, Iam the Iceman took over with less than an eighth of a mile to run, but couldn’t quite hold off Farma Way. He was a length and a half ahead of Robyn Dancer, who beat his entry mate, Cove Way, by a nose.

Magical Mile, wearing blinkers for the first time after flopping at 2-5 in his first start as a 3-year-old, fared even worse on the turf. Close up early, the 2-1 favorite faded and finished eighth.

“He didn’t run a jump,” said Eddie Delahoussaye. “He broke good, but he was bobbling the whole way. He wasn’t running. The blinkers stopped him from running out, but he started lugging in.

“I guess after that injury he’s just not the same horse. That’s all I can say. He’s been working well, but he’s just not getting his stuff together in the afternoon.”