Baffert’s Stakes Victory Comes on West Coast

Trainer Bob Baffert won a stakes Saturday, although the $100,000 B. Thoughtful Stakes at Hollywood Park wasn’t the one he wanted most.

Hours after Excellent Meeting was pulled up in the Preakness and Straight Man ran a disappointing race in the Sir Barton at Pimlico, Censored led all the way in the B. Thoughtful--a race restricted to California-bred fillies and mares.

Censored, the 7-2 third choice, finished four lengths ahead of 2-1 second-choice Gourmet Girl and completed the seven furlongs in 1:21 2/5.

Censored, ridden by David Flores, has six victories in 14 races, including four in five races over the Hollywood Park main track.

“She was a bullet out there,” said Flores. “I was very confident through the first part of the race because she was just breezing. She did everything by herself and was very comfortable. Not only does she love this track, the distance was perfect.”

Gourmet Girl, who had won three of her four previous races in Inglewood, finished 2 1/2 lengths clear of 10-1 shot Funallover.

The disappointments in the B. Thoughtful were Supercilious and Belle’s Flag.

Supercilious, beaten only once in five earlier races at Hollywood Park, was sixth and Belle’s Flag, the 19-10 favorite, was seventh in the eight-horse field.

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Trainer Jerry Dutton started three 2-year-old fillies in the $92,150 Nursery Stakes Saturday at Hollywood Park, but only one was necessary to win it.

Wired To Fly, who won in her debut at Hollywood Park three weeks ago, was victorious again in a race dominated by her and second-place finisher Desert End.

Wired To Fly, ridden by Alex Solis, beat Desert End, the 2-1 second choice, by two lengths in 51 3/5 for 4 1/2 furlongs, then survived a stewards’ inquiry.

Wired To Fly drifted out through the stretch and Desert End, who had won in her debut at Golden Gate Fields on April 16, had to steady. But the stewards ruled the incident was minor and did not affect the finish.

“She had never ducked out like that in the morning,” said Dutton, who also owns the winner in partnership with Lon Klahr. “Maybe she saw something on the rail because that’s the only thing I can think of.

“It always makes you nervous when your number is blinking on the [tote board for the inquiry], but I guess the stewards figured she was clear when she came out.”

Sweet Defense and Wink N’ A Drink, Dutton’s other two fillies in an entry that was a 3-5 odds, finished fourth and fifth, respectively. A fourth Dutton horse, Gambling Champ, was scratched.

Horse Racing Notes

Brave Act, who has won two of his three races over the Hollywood Park turf course, is the 2-1 favorite against 10 opponents in the $100,000 Wilshire Handicap this afternoon. Brave Act will try to bounce back after finishing fifth at 3-1 in the Explosive Bid Handicap at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans on March 28. The rest figures to have done the 5-year-old Persian Bold horse some good and he won the San Gabriel Handicap last Dec. 28 after not racing for six weeks. Lord Smith, who won the Explosive Bid Handicap, will also be trying to make amends as the 3-1 second choice. The 4-year-old gelding had won four in a row before finishing eighth as the 5-2 favorite in the San Francisco Mile Handicap last month at Golden Gate Fields. . . . Hearings still have to be scheduled for five trainers who had horses test positive for clenbuterol, a bronchial dilator, last year. Those whose horses tested positive are Dave La Croix after Pettroff’s win Sept. 2 at Del Mar, Bob Marshall after Nifty Slew’s victory July 31 at Del Mar, Marcelo Polanco after Personal Pleasure finished second in a race at Fairplex Park Sept. 17, Joe Herrick after Iron Peak won at Los Alamitos Oct. 23 and Richard Gach, after Governor Elect won Nov. 5 at Bay Meadows. Hearings involving trainers Paco Gonzalez, Bruce Headley and Darrell Vienna for earlier clenbuterol positive tests have been postponed. Gonzalez, who had Free House test positive after last year’s win in the Bel Air Handicap, has been rescheduled for July 12 while Vienna and Headley’s hearings have been moved to Sept. 22. . . . Hollywood Park’s mutuel handle of $18,985.592.10 was a record for Preakness Day and the $3,456,849 handled on the Preakness was also a record for the track. . . . There is a Pick Six carryover for today of $190,869.