Baffert’s La Jolla Chances Good

Looking for his second victory in the $150,000 La Jolla Handicap in three years, trainer Bob Baffert will send out 40% of the field today.

Del Mar’s leading trainer for five consecutive years, Baffert, who won this event with Purely Cozzene in 2000, will be represented by Mountain Rage and Regiment in the field of five. The Grade III is a prep for the $300,000 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 7.

A gray son of Mecke owned by a partnership that includes Natalie Moss, Mountain Rage had won three consecutive races on the turf before finishing third as the favorite in the first division of the Oceanside Stakes on Del Mar’s opening day.

He had been idle for more than three months before that, so he figures to improve and, with jockey David Flores sticking with Regiment, Victor Espinoza, who won the La Puente at Santa Anita with the colt on April 14, is back aboard.

Regiment also had a three-race winning streak end in his latest outing. He lost by a nose to Inesperado, who is also in the La Jolla lineup, in the Cinema Breeders’ Cup Handicap on June 30 at Hollywood Park.

Owned by 3 Plus U Stable, Inesperado, a French-bred son of Zayyani, beat Regiment by a nose to win the Cinema in his U.S. debut.

He will be trying to give trainer Bobby Frankel his second consecutive victory in the La Jolla. Frankel won a year ago with Marine.

The field is completed by Doc Holiday, who won the Will Rogers on June 1 at Hollywood Park before finishing second in the Arlington Classic four weeks later, and Mutinyonthebounty, who was sixth as the 2-1 favorite in his U.S. debut in the second division of the Oceanside.

Race of the day: Del Mar’s seventh is the meet’s first seven-furlong race for 2-year-olds and includes Listen Indy, who was second to the very promising Vindication, and Truckle Feature, the beaten favorite in his debut for Baffert.

Who’s hot: Randy Schulhofer. The trainer won with four of his first 11 starters at Saratoga.

Who’s not: Uriel Lopez. The jockey won with only one of his first 72 mounts at Arlington. He posted his only victory aboard 22-1 shot Feminine Fury on Aug. 7.

Exotically speaking: An exacta box of Disguys Dalimit, Unrelenting Grit and No Curfew in Del Mar’s fifth race.

Winners (through Thursday): Previous day/meet total: 0/39. Money: Previous day/meet total: $0/$223.80. Total money bet: $340.