by K.T. Donovan

Even with only one horse behind him at the top of the stretch, Susan Osborne’s Desert Code looked much the best as he scored his first stakes win in the $106,600 Baldwin Stakes (G3) for three-year-olds on turf at Santa Anita Park on Saturday.

The chestnut son of E Dubai appears to love the 6 1/2-furlong distance, never having lost in three starts at the distance, whether over Hollywood Park’s Cushion Track or down the hillside turf course at Santa Anita.
 
Roaring around the field on the turn after the front-runners crossed the dirt course, Desert Code passed Newsworthy and Spanish Influence, who had burnt each other out with a first quarter in :21.04 and a half in :43.03.
 
Jockey Richard Migliore had Desert code completely in hand nearing the wire and the colt won by 1 ¾ lengths over Bitter Bill in 1:11.96, just .83 seconds slower than the course record. Vaunt (GB) finished another half-length back in third in the compact field of five.

“This horse is the coolest horse,” trainer David Hofmans said. “Nothing seems to bother him. The dirt course here is a little hard for him, but the Cushion Track at Hollywood Park really helped this horse develop the way he has. I think he found a home on this turf course.”

Bred in Kentucky, Desert Code is out of stakes winner Chatta Code, by Lost Code.

K.T. Donovan is a Thoroughbred Times contributing writer.

For an Equibase chart, click here.