Horse racing newsletter: Baffert adds two more to the Derby trail

BOLD ENDEAVOR attended the pace outside the top trio, vied four deep around the far turn, put a head in front entering the lane, kicked clear in upper stretch and widened under urging. BRANDOTHEBARTENDER well placed behind the top quartet, raced in the two path then spun four wide into the lane, moved out a bit further and finished willingly for second. EKKLESIA up close three deep in the early going, vied three deep and between rivals through the far turn, put a nose in front at the quarter pole, lost the lead into the stretch, could not keep up with top pair in the final furlong and flattened to third. ROYAL ACT stumbled leaving the gate but recovered quickly, pressed the leader from outside then challenged between rivals around the last bend, then weakened in the stretch. SURFING STAR had early speed along the rail, set the pace under pressure from ROYAL ACT, vied with a trio of rivals around the far turn and weakened in the late stages. KANDEREL broke through the gate and was reloaded. tracked the pace off the inside, came four wide into the lane and never responded to urging. POTANTICO trailed the field off the rail, entered the lane four wide and was never a factor.

IVY LEAGUE forwardly placed outside the leader, bid alongside and headed rival at the quarter pole, cleared in upper stretch and held gamely under a drive to the wire. SWEETEST ANGEL pulled early first time through the stretch, stalked outside a rival then between foes on the backstretch, entered the stretch a bit off the rail, finished well and proved second best. CIDER APPLE (GB) bumped with inside rival at the start, settled off the pace inside then moved into the two path leaving the first turn, moved into the three path at the top of the lane, split foes approaching the furlong marker and closed well for third. MIDNIGHT DIVA stalked the pace from inside, tipped out in upper stretch and went evenly through the final furlong. WHISTLER'S STYLE bumped leaving the gate, cleared early and controlled the pace, led clear to the three-eighths, pressured by IVY LEAGUE around the far turn, relinquished command and weakened in the drive. FOCACCINA checked early off heels, raced off the pace, entered the far turn three wide then angled four wide into the drive and could not rally. HYLAND HAVEN unhurried in the beginning from inside, saved ground to the stretch and never threatened. MISS PEAKY BLINDER stalked three wide to the lane and weakened.

MOONLIGHT D'ORO settled at the back of the pack, raced three wide into the far turn then ranged up four wide around the bend, gained command at the top of the stretch, quickly cleared KALYPSO and was kept to task in the late stages. KALYPSO sped clear to take control early, showed the way unchallenged to the quarter pole, was overtaken by the winner at the top of the lane and stayed on well for the place. MORAZ stalked the pace from inside to the stretch, tipped out nearing the eighth pole and kept on for show honors. BRILLIANT CUT broke out leaving the gate, tracked three wide throughout and flattened in the final furlong. HONOR AMERICA stalked outside a rival then between foes into the far turn, started to weakened around the bend, was eased in the stretch and walked off.

MASTEROFFOXHOUNDS stumbled leaving the gate, stalked the leader along the inside, angled two wide leaving the final bend, drew alongside ACCLIMATE at the eighth pole and took over inside the furlong grounds, drifted in a bit late and drew clear under hand urging. ACCLIMATE broke in and bumped rival leaving the gate, assumed command early and crossed to the inside, led clear into the drive, clung to a short advantage at the eighth pole, was overtaken soon after but finished well to hold the place. STARTING OVER bumped from outside rival in the beginning, tracked outside a rival or in the two path, entered the lane three wide and edged SALVATOR MUNDI for third. SALVATOR MUNDI stalked the pace along the fence then moved out into the two path leaving the far turn and got edged for the show. CLEOPATRA'S STRIKE allowed to settle in the early going, saved ground throughout and never offered the needed response. OSCAR DOMINGUEZ (IRE) unhurried early on, angled to the rail around the clubhouse turn, remained inside then came out leaving the final bend and never made an impact.

PAWNEE pressed the pace from outside, gained command past the five-sixteenths, cleared rival into the stretch and drew off under right-handed urging and steady handling late. HALF HOPING chased three deep or four wide up the backstretch, went three wide around the turn, then finished well for a clear second. HERE COMES RALPHIE dropped back early, advanced three wide around the turn and was along for the show. MEDUSA'S GAZE off a bit slow to begin, raced off the pace in the early stages and steered to the inside, angled four wide into the stretch and kept on willingly for a minor award. CURIOUS INJI chased off the rail early, went two wide into the turn then angled to the fence, saved ground into the drive and lacked further response. BANDEENA chased four deep or five wide early, entered the turn four wide then angled to the two path and weakened in the drive. RACE JUDICATA set the pace from inside under pressure, lost command past the midway point on the turn and gave way in the stretch. BIG CHICK traveled mid-pack off the inside, took the turn three then two wide and had little left for the stretch. SMOOTHLIKEBUTTAH settled along the inside, saved ground, then tipped out in upper stretch and never threatened. ALLERGIC TO LOGIC raced mid-pack up the backstretch, traveled in the two path through the turn, angled out at the top of the lane and weakened. MISS REBEKAH chased the speed from inside and tired. ALYSSE trailed the off the rail into the turn, went four then three wide around the bend and was never a factor.

GREGDAR traveled mid-pack through the early stages and was placed along the inside, angled out nearing the stretch, rallied and overhauled the runner-up in the final sixteenth. WHISPER NOT (GB) pressed the pace from outside early then went up to take control at the five-eighths, cleared rival on the backstretch, led into the furlong grounds, was challenged by the winner in the final sixteenth and yielded. KEYSTONE FIELD unhurried in the beginning and moved to the inside, entered the far turn two wide, angled four wide into the lane and summoned a mild late bid. CLUB ASPEN stalked the top pair and angled into the two path, chased two to three wide into the lane and needed to find more in deep stretch. THREE AY EM raced far off the pace and moved to the inside, went two wide around the far turn, asked in the drive and showed a mild response. SHAZIER tracked the pace along the rail, angled out into the stretch, steered inward near the eighth pole and improved position. THE STREET FIGHTER raced off the pace in the early going, saved ground to the stretch and proved no menace. OFFSHORE AFFAIR showed early speed and angled to the rail, lost the lead nearing the five-eighths, chased the leader up the backstretch, entered the lane a bit off the rail and faded. RUSTIC CANYON tracked two wide through the first turn, moved out on the backstretch, went four then three wide through the final bend, was floated out into the drive and tired.

CONCERT TOUR was rated outside the leader through the backstretch, bid three wide around the turn, drifted out in the drive and edged FREEDOM FIGHTER under right-handed urging. FREEDOM FIGHTER away quickly from inside, sped clear and set the pace off the rail, dueled with THE CHOSEN VRON into and around the turn, put that rival away at the quarter pole then met the challenge from CONCERT TOUR leaving the bend, held a short lead to the eighth pole and yielded grudgingly in the late stages. THE CHOSEN VRON chased the speed early then went up to duel for command into and around the turn, could not keep pace nearing the quarter pole, came off the rail in the lane and kept on for a clear third. FOUND MY BALL broke in and bumped rival, trailed the field up the backstretch, took the turn two wide and was never a factor. UNCLE BOOGIE bumped by FOUND MY BALL at the start, chased four then three wide around the turn and weakened.

HIT THE ROAD was well placed early on behind the top pair, traveled two wide then moved out path and loomed three wide into the stretch, drew alongside the top pair in upper stretch, cleared at the eighth pole and won going away under left-handed encouragement. BOB AND JACKIE prompted the pace from outside, dueled with SOMBEYAY around the far turn and into the stretch, raced between rivals in upper stretch, could not match the winner in deep stretch but finished willingly to regain the place. BORDER TOWN raced off the pace early, saved ground into the stretch, steered out in the drive and got up for the show. SOMBEYAY set the pace along the fence with company to the outside, dueled with BOB AND JACKIE around the far turn and into the stretch, fought back to upper stretch, lost command nearing the eighth pole, flattened late and lost the show. HEMBREE angled to the inside early, moved into the two path on the backstretch, remained two wide to the lane and never threatened. CAMPAIGN steadied at the start, trailed off the rail to the stretch and never got involved.

BOB'S SNIPER settled well off the inside, came four wide into the lane, grabbed the lead near the eighth pole and held off the late charge from the runner-up. SQUALOTORO threw head and was off slow to begin, sat off the pace up the backstretch, went three wide into the turn, angled six wide then bumped with rival at the three-sixteenths pole, closed well through the final furlong but was too late. THREEARCHBAYMAFIA chased four deep early, challenged five then four deep around the turn, led in upper stretch, was overtaken at the eighth pole and kept on for a clear third. BIRD raced along the inside, came out into the stretch and bumped rival at the three-sixteenths pole, then went evenly through the final furlong. ZORICH stumbled a bit leaving the gate, traveled near the back of the pack, went two wide around the turn, angled to the rail in upper stretch then moved back out mid-stretch and showed a mild rally. NONNO'S POLARIS asked in the beginning but lacked early speed, went four to five wide around the turn and never threatened. DREAMER'S REALITY set the pace inside of PRINCE RICKY, vied with rivals around the bend and gave way in the stretch. PRINCE RICKY pressed the pace outside the leader, moved up to vie for the lead between rivals around the turn and faded in the lane. TURNTHECLOCKTOZERO stalked the pace along the inside to the stretch, moved out a bit in the drive and weakened. MORE BUBBLY stalked three deep early, put in a mild bid four deep into the turn turn, could not keep pace past the five-sixteenths pole, got floated out into the stretch and weakened. DAPPER raced mid-pack up the backstretch off the rail, took the turn three then two wide, angled in at the top of the lane and tired. COIL TO STRIKE stalked between rivals then bid three deep around the turn, failed to match strides into the stretch, was eased in the lane and walked off.

AGREETODISAGREE bumped both sides and steadied early, steered to the inside, moved out and went three to four wide around the turn, rallied in deep stretch and got up. AADHANA chased the speed from inside, closed in two wide then went between rivals at the quarter pole, led into the stretch, was put to right-handed urging and got caught in the closing moments. SHOUT IT OUT stalked between rival then two wide, was within striking distance at the top of the lane, could not summon the needed late kick but gained show. LUNATIC broke in and bumped rival, was forced out crossing surfaces early, tracked four wide into the turn, ranged up three deep at the quarter pole, led briefly past the quarter pole then was overtaken by AADHANA and could not match the top pair in the final furlong and lost the show. KIND BUT SHE LIES bumped leaving the gate, got bumped again and checked in the early going, went three then two wide around the turn, shifted out approaching the eighth pole and showed a mild rally. VAROMA bumped leaving the gate, chased off the inside, was in tight between rivals early on the turn, came three wide into the stretch and flattened. GOLDEN JOURNEY broke in and bumped rival, saved ground along the inside and never rallied. ESJA lacked early speed, saved ground into the lane and was never a factor. BRIO IS AWESOME jumped the track crossing surfaces early, took the turn five then four wide, was bothered by rival shifting out near the eighth pole and faded. CUTETIP steadied and shifted out early, chased well off the rail, went six then five wide around the turn and had little left for the drive. PURDA VITA broke well from the far outside and sped clear to set the pace, started to weaken around the turn and clung to short lead at the quarter pole, gave up command soon after and tired in the lane.