Futurity Now for 2-Year-Old : Horse racing: Forest Camp wins stakes in a rout on final day of Del Mar meet, and hype begins.

The hype for a precocious 2-year-old usually begins in the press boxes, but with Forest Camp there’s a difference. His trainer, owner and jockey have gone out on long limbs before anyone else has.

In only his second race, Forest Camp overpowered a small field in Wednesday’s $250,000 Del Mar Futurity, and afterward owner Aaron Jones, trainer Bob Baffert and jockey David Flores were unable to contain themselves.

“I’ve won this race four straight years, and they were all different horses,” Baffert said. “But this win was the most impressive I’ve had in the race.”

Since Baffert’s first Futurity win came with Silver Charm, the eventual Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, that’s strong stuff. Jones, the Oregon lumber executive who bought Forest Camp as a yearling for $675,000, was also in the clouds. “I’ve never been a big believer in 2-year-old racing, but maybe it’s time to change,” Jones said. “It might be crass to say, but this looks like a Kentucky Derby horse. He will certainly get the Derby distance.”

Forest Camp, a son of Deputy Minister and La Paz (a Hold Your Peace mare), made his debut Aug. 7 at Del Mar, winning by two lengths. On Del Mar’s closing day Wednesday, he put away Dixie Union, who was undefeated in three starts before the Futurity and had already won two stakes.

“There was no excuse that I could see,” said Richard Mandella, who trains Dixie Union. “We just got outrun. The horse that won looks like some colt.”

The winning margin was 5 1/2 lengths, with Dixie Union second, two lengths ahead of another Baffert colt, Captain Steve. With Dixie Union the 4-5 favorite, Forest Camp paid $6.20 for $2 as the second choice.

Forest Camp ran seven furlongs in 1:21 3/5, the fastest running of the stake since the distance was shortened in 1993. Silver Charm’s winning time in 1996 was 1:22 4/5.

Flores had trouble with his saddle, but it didn’t matter.

“I was pulling on him so hard that the saddle was slipping,” the jockey said. “But he went to the front anyway.”

Baffert, tying his record of last year with his 10th stakes win of the meet, also swept the five Grade I races, one of them with Chilukki in the Del Mar Debutante.

Horse Racing Notes

Forest Camp’s next start is expected to be at Santa Anita on Oct. 10. . . . David Flores led the meet in total wins (38) and stakes (nine). Seven of his nine wins were with Bob Baffert horses. With 27 wins, Baffert won his third consecutive title.