Tranche easily beats Baffert's Mirahmadi at Santa Anita

With heavily favored first-time starter commanding nearly all of the betting attention, Kentucky shipper Tranche, dismissed at 20-1, led a field of four rival juveniles on a merry chase as he went on to romp by 7 1/4 lengths in Saturday’s $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Futurity at Santa Anita.

Trained by Luis Mendez and ridden by Edwin Maldonado, Tranche, who was making his third career start, got five furlongs in 57.68 seconds.

Ridden by Maldonado to a third-place finish, beaten 9 3/4 lengths in an ungraded five furlongs stakes at Churchill Downs on May 4, Tranche broke like a shot and never at any point looked a loser in very impressive effort.

“He ran a big race in Kentucky at Churchill Downs, and I really liked the horse today,” said Maldonado. “In Kentucky, that winner was a monster. I think he won by 10 (9 3/4 lengths) and I knew we had a shot in here, but I didn’t think he was going to run this big today. I was feeling great turning for home by myself. I thought, yes, we got a good shot.”

TRANCHE ($42.00) romps in the $100,000 Futurity Stakes at @santaanitapark. Luis Mendez trains this 2yo colt by Collected (@AirdrieStud). @MaldonadoJockey is in the irons for the victory! Congrats to owner William R. Peeples! ?? @andie_biancone mentioned Tranche looked great! pic.twitter.com/Z6pBHjEiNJ

— TVG (@TVG) June 17, 2023

Owned by William Peeples, Tranche, a bay colt by the City Zip stallion Collected, broke slowly and finished seventh in his 4 1/2-furlong maiden debut at Keeneland on April 7. He was the longest shot in the field Saturday, returning $42.00, $8.00 and $3.00.

With the winner’s share of $60,000, Tranche increased his earnings to $81,000.

“To be honest, I wasn’t really (confident going into this race). In this business when you think you’re going to win, it can sometimes go the other way,” said Mendez, who won the 2021 Fasig Tipton Futurity with Big City Lights. “… Bill Peeples, I mean everybody on the team loved him, but I was not convinced. That beautiful field of horses was against him, so I was a little worried.

“When I saw him turning for home, he made me excited. … I give (bloodstock agent) John Brocklebank the credit for buying these nice horses. He always gives me the credit, but I think if they don’t buy a good horse, I don’t train.”

Trained by Bob Baffert and named for Santa Anita track announcer Frank Mirahmadi, first-time starter Mirahmadi, a $1,050,000 Keeneland September yearling, obviously came highly regarded but never threatened the winner in an effort that suggested he could improve a great deal next time.

Off at 3-5, Mirahmadi, who was three deep turning for home, kept to his task and gradually outran a very well meant Refocus late to finish second by 1 1/4 lengths. Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Mirahmadi paid $2.60 and $2.10.

Refocus, who was head and head with Mirahmadi while about a length off the winner at the quarter pole, was third best on the day, finishing 1 1/2 lengths in front of Going Mobile. The second choice at 9-5, Refocus paid $2.10 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.15 and 45.36 seconds. The Futurity final time compared favorably to the five-furlong final time of the Fasig-Tipton Debutante, which was run four races earlier and won in 58.41 seconds by the filly Grand Slam Smile.