Bob Baffert continues Futurity domination as Cave Rock dazzles in record time

Sunday: Del Mar

Cave Rock extended Bob Baffert's domination of the Runhappy Del Mar Futurity after he provided the Hall of Fame trainer with his 16th victory in the Grade 1 race.

The 2-5 shot, who was six-length maiden winner in August, had no difficulty jumping into top-level company as he annihilated the field, beating his Grade 3-winning stablemate Havnameltdown by five and a quarter lengths.

The first two home carried the colours of owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, who had already clinched the Del Mar owners' title.

Cave Rock's victory was another tribute to his late sire Arrogate, whose daughter And Tell Me Nolies won the Grade 1 TVG Del Mar Debutante a day earlier.

Juan Hernandez rode Cave Rock and Havnameltdown on their last starts and chose Cave Rock, with Mike Smith taking over on Havnameltdown.

Once the gate opened in the 7f contest, it took very little time for the two runners to zip away from the field. Despite Havnameltdown coming in and brushing Cave Rock slightly, the two almost immediately controlled the race, with Cave Rock edging ahead of Havnameltdown to take the lead.

Despite Havnameltdown not applying much pressure to Cave Rock, the favourite posted swift fractions. He raced the first quarter-mile in 21.56s and went the half in 43.56s. He accomplished it so fluidly, however, that it never looked as if the fast times would hinder his chance at victory.

"He broke a step slow, but then he got right in gear," Hernandez said. "I tried to slow him down some, but he wasn't having it. So I just let him go on and do his thing.

"When we hit the quarter pole, I asked him and he changed leads and took off. He just wanted to go. He's something."

Cave Rock stopped the timer in a stakes record 1m 20.99s, eclipsing Declan's Moon's previous mark of 1m 21.29s in 2004. Solar Launch holds the Del Mar track record of 1m 20.00s, which he set in 1990 as a three-year-old.

"In these races you have to play the break, Juan took advantage of it and never looked back," said Jimmy Barnes, assistant trainer to Baffert. "Look at the fractions – 21s, 43s, 1m 08s, 1m 20s. That's racehorse time."

Baffert's success in the Futurity began in 1996 with Silver Charm and his other past winners include American Pharoah in 2015, who the following year became the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

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