Authentic to run in Haskell with Mike Smith in Saddle

They’re getting the band back together.

Last fall, after McKinzie lost the Awesome Again Stakes for his second loss in his last three races, trainer Bob Baffert replaced regular rider Mike Smith. Though they had combined for a Triple Crown sweep just 16 months earlier with Justify, the Baffert-Smith partnership was clearly not as solid as before.

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That’s all changed in recent weeks. After McKinzie suffered two subsequent losses, Smith was reunited with McKinzie for the Triple Bend on June 7, which they won. That was part a recent run of good fortune between Smith and Baffert, which last week included a victory by the 3-year-old filly Gingham in the Angels Flight Stakes and a dazzling debut win by the 3-year-old colt Uncle Chuck.

On Monday, that partnership solidified further when Baffert announced that Smith would take over on Authentic, the runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby, when he makes his next start in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational on July 18 at Monmouth.

Authentic most recently finished second to Honor A. P. in the June 6 Santa Anita Derby, which marked his first loss after three victories, including the Sham Stakes and San Felipe. In all four of those races, Drayden Van Dyke was aboard. Smith won the Santa Anita Derby on Honor A. P., who is not scheduled to run in the Haskell. Both Smith and Van Dyke are represented by agent Brad Pegram.

Smith on Monday was aboard Authentic for his first drill since the Santa Anita Derby, an easy half-mile in 48.80 seconds.

“Breezed great,” Baffert said.

McKinzie also worked Monday, going three furlongs in 36.20 as he moves along toward the July 4 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park. Last year, with Smith up, McKinzie was a troubled second to subsequent male sprint champ Mitole in the Met Mile. That loss and the Awesome Again loss were factors in Smith being replaced last fall.

Also Monday at Santa Anita, the comebacking turf horse Fashion Business worked five furlongs in 1:02.60 for trainer Phil D’Amato as he readies for his first start since August 2018, when he won the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap.

And on the training track, trainer Neil Drysdale sent the turf sprint mare Oleksandra through a six-furlong work in 1:14 in her final drill for an intended start against males in the Jaipur on Saturday at Belmont Park.