Exaulted proved conclusively that pace makes the race with his win in the $500,000 Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile Stakes May 29 at Santa Anita Park. The Shoemaker Mile, a "Win and You're In" race for the Breeders' Cup Mile to be run over the same course on Nov. 4, always shaped up for a closer, and Exaulted was the prime beneficiary.

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Longshot speedball Lamplighter Jack was expected to set a brisk pace up front, and he did his job, getting the first quarter in :22.58 and leading into the far turn. As Lamplighter Jack faded away, Exaulted and hot jockey Juan Hernandez grabbed the lead in the lane and held on to win by a half-length in a time of 1:34.08.

For Exaulted, who scored his first Grade 1 win, the surface may have been more important than the pace. He's 4-for-4 since trainer Peter Eurton switched him to the grass after he'd gone 1-for-11 on dirt.

"He just looks like a genius," winning owner Lee Searing said of Eurton. "I mean, take the horse off the dirt, he'd had a few problems, put it on the grass, win four in a row."

Eurton shrugged off the accolades but clearly was pleased to win a race named for the late superstar jockey and trainer Bill Shoemaker.

"It's the kind of race you wanted to win ever since you were a kid, you know? I knew Bill (Shoemaker). I played golf with him and my father-in-law. All those things together make it a great day."

Irideo raced well off the early pace, wove through traffic in the stretch, and was the only serious challenger in the final yards, finishing second at 40-1 odds. Favored Hong Kong Harry was gaining quickly on the outside but settled for third.

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Exaulted is a 6-year-old son of Twirling Candy from the Gilded Time mare Gilded Miracle. He finished third in the Grade 2 2021 Triple Bend Stakes on the dirt, and his next start came in the same event a year later with a fourth-place finish. He was relegated to optional claiming events after that, without a win in four starts.

When switched to the turf, Exaulted immediately jumped up to win a $70,000 "non-winners of one other-than" on Jan. 2, 2023. After clearing the next condition Feb. 5, he won the Grade 3 American Stakes on April 2.

Irideo was second in the American, too, with a move similar to the one he employed in the Shoemaker.

Eurton said it's a good feeling to know the Breeders' Cup World Championships return to Santa Anita in November.

Defunded Goes Wire-to-Wire, Gives Bob Baffert Ninth Hollywood Gold Cup Win

Trainer Bob Baffert scored a record ninth victory in the $400,000 Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup when Defunded went gate-to-wire May 29 at Santa Anita Park.

Defunded. (BENOIT photo)

Defunded, a 5-year-old gelding by Dialed In owned by Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, set all the pace under jockey Juan Hernandez and held off a stubborn Piroli to win his second career Grade 1 race. Kiss Today Goodbye was third over 2021 Hollywood Gold Cup winner, Country Grammer, also trained by Baffert, who was fourth.

"This horse got the lead and he wasn't going to let anybody pass him," said Baffert. "He's getting better, and I was happy to see him get the mile and a quarter."

An impressive winner of the Grade 2 Californian Stakes last time out, Defunded ($3.20) raced the 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.85 over a fast main track.

Baffert's success in the Gold Cup dates to Real Quiet in 1999, his first win in the race. Following Real Quiet's victory, Baffert continued with Congaree in 2003, First Dude in 2011, Game On Dude in 2012-13, Cupid in 2017, Improbable in 2020, and Country Grammer in 2021.-- Tracy Gantz