BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Claimed for $20,000 out of a third-place finish by trainer Rudy Sanchez-Salomon on Nov. 1, Florida-bred Bailintin has had a consistent ascent through racing conditions since. The 4-year-old daughter of Girvin makes her stakes debut Saturday at Laurel in the $100,000 Nellie Morse among six fillies and mares, 4-years-old and older, set for the mile-and-a-sixteenth.
In five starts from the Sanchez-Salomon barn, all at Laurel, Bailintin has improved from a third-place finish against $30,000 claiming fillies and mares going five-and-a-half furlongs on Nov. 17 to winning her last race against first level allowance fillies and mares over a sloppy seven furlongs on Feb. 7.
That was her second win in her last three starts having also won a $36,000 claiming over a sloppy mile on Dec. 29. She was third behind winner Lovely Charm in a mile-and-a-sixteenth allowance race on Jan. 26.
Owned by High Schticking Thoroughbreds LLC, Bailintin sports a career record of three wins, three seconds and eight thirds in 21 starts with earnings of $124,160. She is out of the Midnight Lute mare Mandolin and was bred in Florida by Belvedere Farm.
Bailintin is a graduate of Ocala Breeders’ Sales having sold for $52,000 to Smart Angle out of the Boutte Sales consignment at the 2023 Spring Sale.
(Bailintin’s Under Tack Video / Walking Video)
Tais Lyapustina will ride Bailintin for the fifth consecutive time and they have post three.
Trainer Brittany Russell trains the likely favorite for the Nellie Morse in Sea Dancer for SF Racing LLC.
In one start since transferring to Russell from the Tim Yakeen barn in Southern California, Sea Dance made her first start on dirt and won the $100,000 Carousel by two lengths going a mile-and-an-eighth at Laurel on Dec. 21.
All of her previous starts had come on turf with her best performance coming in a three-and-a-quarter-length score in a first level, $100,000 optional claiming going nine furlongs at Santa Anita in March of last year. She finished off the board in her last five starts in Southern California all in stakes—four graded.
Sea Dancer has three career wins with two seconds in 14 starts and the daughter of Mastery out of Cuyathy, by Congrats has earned $199,095.
Sheldon Russell has the return mount from the inside post one.
Rounding out the field are Headline Numbers and jockey Angel Cruz, J.G. Torrealba rides Peppermint Class, Call Another Play will be guided by Mychel Sanchez and Sweet Heidelberg will have Jose Betancourt in the irons.
Return to the February 11 issue of Wire to Wire
