Baffert has strong early favorite in American Pharoah

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Bob Baffert has won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile three times. However, he is winless with four favorites in the race dating back to 1999.

That streak most certainly will be tested in this year’s $2 million Juvenile on Nov. 1, when Baffert sends out American Pharoah, who solidified his status as the Juvenile favorite with a devastatingly easy 3 1/4-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes at Santa Anita, the site of this year’s Breeders’ Cup.

The victory confirmed his maiden score, which also came in front-running fashion, in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 3.

“He’s a pretty exciting horse,” Baffert said Sunday. “He’s such a quiet horse, but when he comes out of the gate, he gets into that gear, and he does it effortlessly.”

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The FrontRunner was a Win and You’re In race for the Juvenile, meaning that American Pharoah gains a fees-paid berth into the Juvenile. American Pharoah is a son of Pioneerof the Nile owned and bred by Ahmed Zayat.

Baffert won his third Juvenile last year with 10-1 shot New Year’s Day. None of his three Juvenile winners – including Midshipman (2008) and Vindication (2002) – was favored. He has sent out the Juvenile favorite four times, including in 2001, when Officer finished fifth at 3-5. In 2009, Lookin at Lucky was beaten a head as the 2-1 favorite after breaking from post 13.

Though he’s started 22 horses in the Juvenile, Baffert said American Pharoah reminds him most of Indian Charlie – a horse who missed the Juvenile due to injury – than any of his previous Juvenile starters.

“Temperament-wise, he reminds me a lot of Indian Charlie; when he walks into the gate, he’s like a pony,” Baffert said. “It’s all about keeping healthy.”

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Calculator finished second to American Pharoah in the FrontRunner after finishing 4 3/4 lengths behind him when second in the Del Mar Futurity. Peter Miller, the trainer of Calculator, said he will point his maiden to the Juvenile.

“I was real pleased with his race,” Miller said. “He lost a lot of ground. There was no pace in the race. The winner got an easy lead. Hopefully, we’ll get a little more pace in the Breeders’ Cup. If he finishes second in the Breeders’ Cup, that would be all right. That would be my biggest payday yet.”

Texas Red, third, beaten 4 3/4 lengths in the FrontRunner, would figure to be the only other FrontRunner starter to be considered for the Juvenile.

The complexion of the Juvenile field figures to come into clearer focus this weekend with the runnings of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland and the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park. Both are Win and You’re In races for the Juvenile.

– additional reporting by Jay Privman