CSLR Racing Partners' Pilot Commander won his first graded stakes with a tenacious victory March 29 in the $100,000 San Carlos Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park.
The 4-year-old Justify colt trained by Bob Baffert had gotten close in two previous graded attempts, finishing second to talented stablemate Muth in the 2024 San Vicente Stakes (G2) and later running fourth, beaten 2 1/2 lengths, in the 2024 Malibu Stakes (G1), both at Santa Anita.
Sent off as the 2-5 favorite in the five-horse San Carlos, Pilot Commander and rider Juan Hernandez broke from the rail and stalked the leaders from close range along that inside path, never much more than a length off the lead.
He was briefly shuffled back to fourth with the horses tightly bunched through a half-mile in :45.34 and Hernandez waiting for an opening. That opportunity came as the field turned for home, and Pilot Commander took the lead inside of Spirit of Makena in early stretch. He hit the six-furlong mark in 1:10.59, then battled grittily to the wire while remaining on his left lead. The final time for seven furlongs on the dirt track rated fast was 1:23.98. He returned $2.80 to a $2 win wager.
"That was a tough out, but he showed a lot of heart," said CSLR's Alex Childs. "Bob has done an incredible job with the horse, and I couldn't be happier."
For All Mankind finished three-quarters of a length behind in second, and Spirit of Makena, making his first start since 2023, finished another half-length back in third.
It was the fifth San Carlos win for Baffert, who said removing blinkers from Pilot Commander in his previous start, a Feb. 1 allowance optional claiming victory, might have made a difference to his trainee.
"When we drew the 1 hole, I knew it wouldn't be easy for him. Taking the blinkers off, he's learned to relax, which he needed to do today," Baffert said. "I knew he was caught in a tight spot, and it looked like, oh boy, he's gonna have to really show his grit.
"You could tell that last 100 yards, he was not gonna be denied. He was reaching out there, had his ears pinned."
CSLR purchased Pilot Commander for $700,000 at the 2023 Ocala Breeders' Sales March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, where Niall Brennan Stables consigned him.
Pilot Commander has won four times and finished second twice in seven starts, earning $240,600. He is the 19th graded winner for leading fourth-crop sire Justify, who stands at Ashford Stud in Kentucky for an advertised fee of $250,000 in 2025.
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Wilshire Gives 'Tough' Tirupati First Graded Win
Assistant trainer Chelsie Raabe touted the toughness of Augustin Stables' Tirupati ahead of the $101,000 Wilshire Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park, where the filly was making her third start in five weeks. The daughter of Mitole verified that claim by taking the March 29 one-mile turf stakes in gate-to-wire fashion and capturing her first graded win.
Trained by Jonathan Thomas and ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Tirupati's ability did not go unnoticed as shown by her status as even-money favorite when the gates sprang open. She grabbed the lead quickly and never saw another of her six challengers. Longshot contender Tahini tracked the pacesetter through early fractions of :23.24, :46.99, and 1:10.95. Then second-choice Alpha Bella took up the chase but got no closer than a length from Tirupati at the wire. Big Hug, the highest price at 47-1, finished third.
The final time was 1:34.61.
"In her mind, all she wants to be is a racehorse," said Raabe, who handled the trainer's duties for the race. "We just let her do her job."
Thomas is going into his sixth year training the majority of owner/breeder George Strawbridge Jr.'s stable. The trainer acquired Tirupati for Strawbridge during the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, where he signed the ticket for $230,000. The filly was consigned by Randy Miles.
Tirupati is from the first crop of Spendthrift Farm's 2019 champion male sprinter Mitole. The farm bred Tirupati out of the Street Sense daughter Nora's Joy, who is a half sister to stakes winner Bright Town (Speightstown). The Wilshire victory makes Tirupati the fourth graded stakes winner among Mitole's first foals.
Tirupati made her 2025 debut a winning one, taking a Jan. 4 one-mile starter allowance race by 3 1/2 lengths. She next ran third in an allowance optional claiming race Feb. 22 and returned a week later in the March 1 Buena Vista Stakes (G2T), where she was second by a head to Liguria.
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