‘Road has a nice trip for Baffert

About 10 months removed from her first victory, in a $25,000 claimer against Arkansas-breds at Oaklawn Park, Downthedustyroad is now a Grade I winner.

Purchased privately by trainer Bob Baffert for owner Ahmed Zayat last spring, the 3-year-old Storm and a Half filly humbled eight opponents in the $250,000 La Brea Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita.

Making her first appearance in a Grade I, Downthedustyroad, a 7-2 shot, sat just off the pace set by longshot Diplomat Lady for most of the trip, then took charge in the stretch and won by 4 1/4 lengths under jockey Jon Court.

This was the fourth win in 10 starts for Downthedustyroad, and she ran the seven furlongs in a solid 1:21.40.

In the process, Downthedustyroad continued a Baffert roll in the race. He won a year earlier with Pussycat Doll and has five wins overall in the La Brea, which is the first of three legs in Santa Anita’s La Canada series.

“She had been training very well, and she runs hard every time,” Baffert said. “That was serious racehorse time. She left there running and kept on going.

“It’s important for these fillies to win a Grade I, and they are hard to come by so you have to appreciate them.”

The future for Downthedustyroad is uncertain because she is cataloged to be sold next month at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., along with stablemate and fellow Grade I winner Point Ashley.

A pair of comebackers, Squallacious and Balance, completed the trifecta in the final Grade I of 2006.

The former, the 3-1 second choice, finished 1 1/2 lengths in front of Balance, the 5-2 favorite who had been idle since finishing 11th in the Kentucky Oaks on May 5.

The loss was the first in three starts at Santa Anita for Balance, who had won the Las Virgenes and Santa Anita Oaks earlier in the year. According to trainer David Hofmans, she may return in the longer (1 1/16 miles) El Encino Stakes on Jan. 14.

“It was her first time back, and it was more than we could overcome,” Hofmans said. “They out-footed us, outran us.”

*

Kolo, the 7-2 third choice, won his second in a row on the grass, capturing the $82,450 Eddie Logan Stakes by a neck over 41-1 shot Mystery Island.

Jose Valdivia Jr. rode the 2-year-old Dynaformer colt for owner Keith Brackpool and trainer Carla Gaines. The final time for the mile on turf was 1:37.52. Formerly called the Hill Rise, the name of the race was changed to honor Logan, 96, who has been operating a shoeshine business at Santa Anita since 1934.

*

There is a pick six carry-over of $160,453 for today at Santa Anita.

*

Take D’Tour capped a banner 2006 with an easy win under jockey Eibar Coa as the 3-5 favorite in the $100,000 Stage Door Betty Handicap at Calder in Miami.

Owned by breeder Alice Muller and trained by David Fawkes, Take D’Tour, a 5-year-old Tour d’Or mare, won for the sixth time in 10 starts this year and pushed her earnings to more than $650,000.

In three other stakes on the card, Can’t Beat It took the $100,000 Pete Axthelm, Annabill won the $100,000 Chaposa Springs and Bayou’s Lassie held off favored J’ray to win the $100,000 Francis A. Genter.

*

Claimed for $16,000 on Oct. 19 at Belmont Park, Successful Affair remained unbeaten in four starts for his current connections, winning the $69,810 Gallant Fox Handicap at Aqueduct in New York.

bob.mieszerski@latimes.com