BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Graded stakes-winner Baby Yoda made a perseverant stretch run to catch eventual runner-up Light the Way and fellow Florida-bred Comedy Town to win by length in an upper level, $100,000 optional claiming Friday at Saratoga Race Course and become the 188th Florida-bred millionaire in his 32nd career start.
The dark bay or brown gelding was timed in 1:22.61 for the six furlongs and paid $4.70 as the 6-5 favorite.
With jockey Flavien Prat, the 7-year-old son of Prospective increased his career bankroll to $1,019,320 from 11 wins with four seconds and four thirds to rank as the 176th all-time richest Florida-bred. He sits on the list behind Grand Canyon ($1,019,540) and ahead of Dorth Vader ($1,018,218), who recently joined the Sunshine State seven-figure club when second by a nose to Thorpedo Anna on Aug. 23 at Saratoga in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign.
Throughout his career, Baby Yoda has relished Saratoga having won half of his 10 starts there with one third including a six-length domination of the Grade 2 True North in June of last year.
Trained in his first two starts by Charles Frock, including an eight-length debut win at Pimlico in May of 2021, Baby Yoda was purchased after his start in June of 2021 by Panotel Stable LLC, Wachtel Stable and Jerold L. Zaro. He was switched to the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and promptly won his first two races at Saratoga including four-and-a-half-length romp against allowance horses on Sept. 4, 2021. He finished six-and-a-half furlongs in 1:14.33 that day to earn a 114 Beyer Speed Figure. Gary Barber bought into the partnership, which remained intact until Friday, following that race.
Baby Yoda is out of More Than Speed, by More Than Ready and was bred in Florida by Kathleen Amaya, Alexandro Centofanti and Raffaele Centofanti.
He has won two of three starts this year including a four-and-a-quarter-length score in an upper level, $100,000 optional claiming during the Belmont at Big A meet on June 13. Last out, he was fifth in the Grade 2 A.G. Vanderbilt won by Book ‘em Danno at Saratoga on July 19.
Baby Yoda was claimed for $100,000 Friday by trainer Robert N. Falcone Jr. for Flying P Stable.
Return to the August 30 issue of Wire to Wire
