Del Mar Futurity Has Baffert’s Kind of Field

Aiming for his fifth consecutive victory in the $250,000 Del Mar Futurity on Wednesday, trainer Bob Baffert looks to have the Grade II race surrounded.

Besides sending out Flame Thrower, the 2-1 morning line favorite, Baffert will be represented by Arabian Light, who is unbeaten in two starts for Prince Ahmed Salman’s Thoroughbred Corporation, and Glorious Bid, who broke his maiden in his third start on Aug. 19.

Purchased for $270,000 earlier this year by owner Gary Garber, Flame Thrower won his career debut on July 26, Del Mar’s opening day, then easily won his stakes debut, beating six rivals by nearly three lengths in the Best Pal Stakes nearly a month later.

With Corey Nakatani sidelined because of a broken collarbone, Jerry Bailey will ride Flame Thrower for the first time in the seven-furlong Futurity.

Unchallenged in two starts against California-breds, Arabian Light, a $700,000 purchase in March, gets leading rider Victor Espinoza, his third different jockey in as many outings.

Completing the field in the closing-day feature are Learing At Kathy; Meetyouathebrig; Revelling; High Cascade, who will be trying to give trainer Wayne Lukas his fourth Futurity win; and Squirtle Squirt, who will be ridden for the first time by Eddie Delahoussaye.

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The Pacific Classic might have escaped owners John and Betty Mabee for a third time when General Challenge failed in his quest for a repeat on Aug. 26, but the people behind Golden Eagle Farm did win their first I’m Smokin Stakes on Monday.

Shining Nuggets, a 2-year-old gelding who began his career in Northern California, rebounded from a poor effort in the Graduation Stakes last month to beat favored Proud Tower and six others in 1:10 1/5 for the six furlongs. The win was the first stakes success of the meet for the Mabees and the ninth for leading rider Victor Espinoza.

Trained by Jeff Bonde, Shining Nuggets, who had finished fifth in the Graduation after winning two of three at Golden Gate Fields and Pleasanton, paid $10.20.

Proud Tower was second and pacesetter Tony’s Royalty was third. Rocky’s Crew was scratched after breaking through the gate before the start.

Horse Racing Notes

Glorious Linda, who finished second in the first race at Santa Anita on April 21, has been disqualified after testing positive for the drug hydroxymepivacaine, a painkiller. Del Mar stewards Ingrid Fermin, Dave Samuel and George Slender ordered that the purse money be redistributed. A ruling will be issued Wednesday regarding any possible sanctions against Glorious Linda’s trainer, Jose Silva. . . . Besides Flame Thrower, Jerry Bailey will ride Chilukki, the 2-year-old filly champion in 1999, for trainer Bob Baffert in Wednesday’s $70,000 CERF Handicap at six furlongs. Bailey was aboard the daughter of Cherokee Run when she won an allowance race at Saratoga on Aug. 25. . . . Del Mar ran out of programs Monday, meaning fans were given a handout with the Del Mar entries, but missing were Bay Meadows entries.