PRINT THIS PAGE | E-MAIL THIS PAGE

Monday, April 21, 1997

Trainer Bob Baffert and jockey David Flores big winners in Texas Mile

By DENNE H. FREEMAN

Associated Press

GRAND PRAIRIE - Trainer Bob Baffert and jockey David Flores made the inaugural Texas Mile and Lone Star Derby their own personal daily double.

Flores rode Isitingood to an upset victory over Eclipse Award winner Skip Away on Sunday in the $250,000 Texas Mile. Then Kentucky Derby hopeful Anet outlasted Frisk Me Now and Wild Wonder to win the $250,000 Lone Star Derby.

"I'll cherish this day," said Baffert. "It's nice to have these two wins and be a part of history at Lone Star Park. "

Isitingood, owned by Terry Henn and Michael Pegram, drew away to a wire-to-wire 3-length finish over longshot Spiritbound with Skip Away, last year's 3-year-old champion and Eclipse Award winner, coming in third.

The winner, coming off a runner-up performance to Atticus in the Oaklawn Handicap on April 5, paid $5.40, $3.60 and $2.10

"I kept looking for Skip Away," Flores said. "But when I found him I saw he wasn't dangerous. My horse had plenty of gas. He was responding like a good car. "

Isitingood won in a quick 1:34.44 over the mile on Lone Star Park's much-acclaimed springy surface. Pegram said his horse's next race would probably be at the Pimlico Special.

"We decided to run against Skip Away when they raised the purse to $250,000," Pegram said. "When this horse is on his game he's tough to beat."

Shane Sellers, jockey on Skip Away, said "I could see we were in trouble halfway through the race. He wasn't gobbling horses up and we just couldn't make up any ground."

Speed horse Anet, owned by Donald Dizney, won the 1 1-16th mile Lone Star Derby by 2 1/4 lengths after outdueling Frisk Me Now, Holzmeister, and Wild Wonder down the stretch. The winning time was 1:40.88 and paid Anet backers $7.80, $4.00 and $3.40.

Dizney and Baffert will ship Anet to Churchill Downs and plan to enter the Kentucky Derby if the horse responds well.

"We'll see how he comes out of this race and if he's not knocked out we'll enter him in the Derby," Baffert said.

"I've got Derby fever," Dizney said. "But Bob will decide if we run."

Said Baffert, "This is a tough little peanut of a horse. He's not very big but he digs down and goes."

Dizney said Baffert predicted the victory over Frisk Me Now, who had won the Nutcheson Stakes and the Flamingo Stakes.

"He called me and told me I had a winner," Dizney said. "But I didn't believe him and I didn't bet the horse."

Anet was a nine-length winner in the Rushaway Stakes at Turfway Park in late March.

Robert Durso, trainer for Frisk Me Now, said, "We didn't have it. We may go to the Preakness from here."

A crowd of 24,200 attended the first Sunday of racing at Lone Star, which had an on-track handle of $1,692,090. Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: