Anet’s Victory Is Another First for Baffert

According to Bob Baffert’s recollection, Anet’s victory in Monday’s $300,000 Del Mar Derby was a first for the trainer at this track.

“I don’t think I’ve ever won a turf race here before,” he said after his 3-year-old Clever Trick colt beat six rivals under Gary Stevens in 1:48 2/5 for the 1 1/8 miles.

If that’s the case, Baffert certainly has won plenty of races on the main track to make up for it and the current meeting has been a dream for him. The first graded stakes win for Anet was the 21st triumph this season for the trainer, and there are still seven days left.

A gritty second to Touch Gold in the Haskell Invitational last month at Monmouth Park in New Jersey, the 5-2 second choice made a successful transition to the grass in his second try. In his first, Feb. 28 at Santa Anita, he had a troubled trip and finished seventh in the Pirate Cove. He’s a much better colt these days.

With Fantastic Fellow, the Oceanside Stakes and La Jolla Handicap winner, content to track the pace, Anet relaxed on the lead through some extremely slow fractions--24 4/5, 49 1/5 and 1:13 for six furlongs--then came home in a hurry, running the last eighth of a mile in a solid 11 4/5 seconds.

Now, after improving his record to six victories in 12 starts, he’ll go back to the dirt for the $1-million Pegasus on Sept. 20 at the Meadowlands.

“This sets him up perfectly for that,” said Baffert. “He’s really come around. When we came down here, he was like a changed horse. . . . He’s just getting better and better.

Brave Act, a 5-1 shot, was second, a half-length ahead of Worldly Ways, the 3-2 favorite.