ARCADIA, Calif. – This has been a record-breaking, or at least record-equaling, year of stakes wins in a single meeting at Santa Anita for jockey Flavien Prat and trainer Bob Baffert. Monday, Country Grammer gave Baffert his 17th stakes win of the winter-spring meeting in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup, surpassing the record of 16 he set in the 1998-99 season. :: Enhance your handicapping with DRF’s Santa Anita Clocker Report That year, Baffert’s stable was led by Santa Anita Derby winner General Challenge and Santa Anita Oaks winner Excellent Meeting, who combined to win five stakes. In 1998-99, racing was largely held five days a week, from Dec. 26 to April 19, for 84 racing days. The current meeting is held three days a week, consists of 78 racing days, and continues through June 20. This year, Baffert’s high-profile stable has been led by the 3-year-olds Life Is Good and Medina Spirit, and the 4-year-old filly As Time Goes By, who have combined to win five stakes. “It’s hard to sustain this level of excellence,” Baffert said in an interview at his stable last weekend. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished. All my clients want to play at this level.” Country Grammer, owned by WinStar Farm, had his second start for Baffert in the Gold Cup, having finished second to Royal Ship in the Grade 2 Californian Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on April 17 in his California debut. The result was reversed in Hollywood Gold Cup, when Country Grammer led on the turn, was passed by Royal Ship in early stretch, and retook the lead to win by a head. Baffert said the distance was key to Country Grammer’s success, which makes the colt a candidate for the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles at Del Mar on Aug. 21. Medina Spirit tested positive for betamethasone after his win in the Kentucky Derby, and the split sample came back positive as well, Baffert’s attorney said Wednesday. After Baffert announced the first positive, Churchill Downs Inc. and the New York Racing Association banned Baffert from racing at their tracks. As a result, Baffert has only a few tracks at which he can participate. :: Join DRF Bets and play the races with a $250 First Deposit Bonus. Click to learn more. Baffert typically would have leading runners on the Belmont Stakes program, which is Saturday at Belmont Park. Medina Spirit finished third in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 15 and resumed training at Santa Anita this week, Baffert said in a text message on Wednesday. Baffert does not have any nominees to the stakes at Santa Anita this weekend, both on turf – Saturday’s Grade 2 Monrovia Stakes and Sunday’s $75,000 Desert Code Stakes. He is expected to have representation in the Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on June 13, one of 11 stakes on the final two weekends of the meeting. Overall, Baffert has 38 wins at the meeting, second to Phil D’Amato with 43. Prat won his 19th stakes of the winter-spring meeting aboard Country Grammer, equaling a record shared by Laffit Pincay, Jr. (1982-83) and Corey Nakatani (1996-97). Prat is riding at Belmont Park this Thursday through Saturday and will return to Santa Anita on Sunday. He is booked to ride Whatmakessammyrun in the Desert Code. Through Monday, Prat leads the overall jockey standings with 110 wins, well clear of second-place Juan Hernandez with 77.