Azul Coast gets first graded win in Native Diver S. (G3)

Azul Coast dug in game in the final furlong to hold off Kiss Today Goodbye by a half-length in Saturday’s Native Diver S. (G3), the first graded win for the 4-year-colt. It was the fourth Native Diver victory for trainer Bob Baffert, who got his first with General Challenge in 1999 at Hollywood Park.

Now held at Del Mar, this year’s Native Diver featured a trio of Baffert horses, with stablemates Ax Man setting the pace and Eight Rings in second, while Azul Coast was in fifth, but just four lengths from the front after a half-mile in :48.41.

Azul Coast came three-wide around the turn, passing his stablemates in upper stretch. Kiss Today Goodbye was bearing down on the outside, but Azul Coast held him off to finish the 1 1/8-miles in 1:50.55 on a fast track.

“’Azul’ runs his best races [at Del Mar],” said Baffert. “He likes this track and he was really impressive. When I ran him in the Awesome Again (at Santa Anita), he just laid an egg. He was up there close and I was really disappointed, but he was chasing Medina Spirit.”

Azul Coast, owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, won last year’s El Camino Real Derby and is now 4-1-1 in 10 starts and has earned $221,280.