Executiveprivilege wins Landaluce for Baffert

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) - Executiveprivilege won the $150,000 Landaluce Stakes by 31/4 lengths on Saturday, prompting Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert to compare the filly to 2010 Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky.

Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, Executiveprivilege ran 6 furlongs on the synthetic Cushion Track in 1:11.49 and paid $2.60, $2.20 and $2.10 as the 3-10 favorite. The 2-year-old bay filly is owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, the same trio who owned Lookin At Lucky. That colt had a famously bad trip in the 2010 Kentucky Derby and finished sixth, then won the Preakness and earned the Eclipse as champion 3-year-old.

"I just think she's really gifted," said Baffert, who won the Landaluce for the third time. "From day one when we breezed her, I remember calling Mike and saying, 'I think we have a female version of Lookin at Lucky.'"

Speedinthruthecity returned $4 and $3, while Miss Empire was another 11/4 lengths back in third and paid $2.60 to show. Both are trained by Peter Miller.

The top three fillies are on schedule to renew their rivalry in the $150,000 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 8.

But Baffert has a bigger goal in mind. He'd like to send Executiveprivilege to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.

She won her career debut on June 28 by 41/2 lengths, and Baffert decided to run her just 16 days later rather than wait until going to Del Mar.

"It's so tough to win the second time out and coming back so quickly," he said.

Executiveprivilege broke close to the lead and then tracked the leaders before Bejarano guided her to the inside approaching the quarter pole and they pulled away in the final sixteenth.

"As soon as we broke from the gate, I put her right behind horses and got her into a good position," said Bejarano, who won his leading 13th stakes of the spring-summer meet. "I knew all I had to do was wait because at the end I was going to have a lot of horse. The race was over as soon as we hit the stretch and I let her run."

In the $150,000 Hollywood Juvenile Championship, Scherer Magic and Joe Talamo won by 21/2 lengths.

Scherer Magic ran 6 furlongs in 1:11.67 and paid $8.20, $4.60 and $7 as the 3-1 second choice.

Trainer John Sadler claimed the Iowa-bred gelding for $50,000 on June 14 on behalf of owners Gary and Cecil Barber after winning a shake between five other interested parties. He's now 2 for 2 in his young career after winning his first race by 71/4 lengths.

"You have to have some guts to claim an Iowa-bred," Sadler said. "You have to be lucky too. I might want to make him eligible to the Breeders' (Cup) Juvenile Sprint. It closes tomorrow and it's a big price reduction if you nominate him early."

Carson's Crown, also trained by Sadler, returned $7.80 and $14.40, while Just Call Me Al was another 13/4 lengths back in third and paid $25 to show.

Amarish, the 2-5 favorite, faded to sixth in the field of seven 2-year-olds after leading by a head in the early going. He had won his first two career starts by a combined 121/4 lengths.

"He got to the quarter pole, took a couple of deep breaths and shut it down," trainer Jeff Bonde said, adding that he would have Amarish checked out for any problems.