With only his maiden win as preparation for graded stakes company, Bob Baffert trainee Havnademeltdown did not bat an eye Aug. 14 at Del Mar, taking the $200,000 Best Pal Stakes (G3) in effortless style as the 1-2 favorite. The colt’s first race was only a little over two weeks ago, a July 24 maiden special weight race at Del Mar. His first performance was similar as he also led from start to finish and finished more than two lengths ahead of the field.
“He is built for speed if you look at him,” Baffert said. “He is very precocious-looking; his sire was very fast. That will be his kind of distance. He has been solid and that was a good group of horses. He looked great in the paddock and has been training well… Happy we got the W.” Havnameltdown was a $16,000 yearling for Blas Perez Stables from the Beth Bayer consignment to the 2021 Ocala Breeders’ Sales October Yearling Sale. Back at auction again earlier this year, the colt sold for $200,000 to Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, who purchase horses as “Three Amigos,” from the Blas Perez consignment to the Ocala Breeders’ Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.