Fighting Mad Too Easy In Torrey Pines

DEL MAR, CA – Gary and Mary West’s Fighting Mad made her two-turn debut a winning one when she took the field on a carousel ride around the Del Mar oval in Saturday’s $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes (G3).

Breaking from post 7 under Joe Talamo as the 2/1 favorite, Fighting Mad immediately set out to take the lead and did so before posting fractions of :23.29, :46.98, and 1:11.98. After taking a breather in the far turn, Fighting Mad reengaged and took off sharply at the top of the stretch, clearing away in the lane to win by 8 easy lengths. The Bob Baffert trainee completed the mile-long event over the fast main track in a final time of 1:38.61.

“The plan was to go for it,” Talamo said. “She was running easy out there. She ran great.”

Hollywood Hills rallied from the rear in the stretch to edge Into Chocolate for second by a head, while Kim K was just a 1/2-length behind them in fourth. High Regard, Sneaking Out, and Classic Fit completed the order of finish.

Colonial Creed was scratched.

Fighting Mad’s win was her first since taking a 6-furlong allowance score at Churchill Downs on April 30. The 3-year-old daughter of New Year’s Day improved her mark to 5-3-1-0 with $168,008 earned.

“We were hoping she could get a mile,” Baffert said. “I’ve been taking my time with her, but the way she’s been working and the way she’s showed she loved this track, we were hoping it would turn out the way it did.”

Fighting Mad returned $6.60 to win, $4.40 to place, and $3.20 to show. Hollywood Hills brought back $14.60 to place and $7 to show, while Into Chocolate paid $3.60 to show.