Baffert feeling pressure but holding strong hand for Derby

Optimer held off Wooden Ticket by a nose to win Monday’s $63,000 feature at Del Mar. Ridden by Richard Migliore, Optimer covered 1 1-16 miles on the turf in 1:40.87 and paid $6.80, $3.40 and $2.40. Wooden Ticket returned $7.40 and $3.40, while Medzendeekron was another three-quarters of a length back in third and paid $2.20 to show as the 8-5 wagering favorite.

Final figures at Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale were 3.7 percent below last year’s record of nearly $400 million, and the average price per horse fell almost 10 percent as the 15-day event closed on Tuesday. Gross sales were $385,018,600, making the 2007 sale the second-highest grossing of Keeneland’s September sales.

Would a Kentucky Derby contender please step forward

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