Umberto Rispoli is set to make his race-riding return at Los Alamitos on Saturday, with Bob Baffert booking the Italian jockey for the debut of $3.4million colt Faran in a maiden special weight.
The comeback has a sharp profile because Rispoli has been out since a heavy spill on the Pegasus World Cup undercard at Gulfstream Park in late January. His first assignment back is not a soft relaunch: Faran was the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale-topper and carries the Zedan Racing Stable colours.
According to Thoroughbred Daily News, Faran runs in the fourth race at Los Alamitos, a $50,000 maiden special weight over six and a half furlongs, with a scheduled post time of 5.36pm ET.
Why Faran’s Debut Carries Extra Weight
The colt is by Not This Time out of Kayce Ace, a Tiznow mare from a strong American family that includes Santa Anita Derby and Travers Stakes winner Colonel John. Donato Lanni signed for Faran on behalf of Amr Zedan at Saratoga, making him one of the most scrutinised unraced colts in the Baffert system.
For Rispoli, the booking neatly joins two storylines: a high-end comeback from injury and a premium juvenile-profile debut in California. For Baffert and Zedan, it puts a proven big-race rider straight onto a costly colt whose first public test will attract close attention.
