Baffert once again armed with top 3-year-olds

ARCADIA, Calif. – The golf cart that trainer Bob Baffert likes to ride around in on mornings here at Santa Anita has a vanity license plate that reads “Justify,” a reminder of the most-recent Triple Crown winner, who became the fifth horse in the last seven years to win the Kentucky Derby after training during the winter at Santa Anita.

This track again figures to be a focal point in the run-up to the spring classics, and, as usual, Baffert will be front and center. He has won the Derby five times, and his two winners in the last four years went on to sweep the Triple Crown.

Baffert goes into this Santa Anita meet, which opens Wednesday, with a deep roster of soon-to-be 3-year-olds. The males are headed by Game Winner, the unbeaten winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the obvious choice to be named the Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male next month, and Improbable, winner of the CashCall Los Alamitos Futurity. They are a combined 7 for 7.

Baffert said he plans on Game Winner having two starts before the Derby, and said Improbable will have “at least two.” That likely means one will be pointed to races like the San Felipe on March 9 and the Santa Anita Derby on April 7, while the other could end up taking a route like the Rebel on March 16 and the Arkansas Derby on April 14, as Baffert has been a longtime supporter of Oaklawn Park’s stakes program, too.

He could have others vying for those spots. Coliseum won a maiden race impressively in his debut at Del Mar and will make his second start Jan. 5 in the Sham, a race that also should attract the stakes winner Sueno for Keith Desormeaux as well as the recent maiden winners Gray Magician for Peter Miller and perhaps Value Play for Simon Callaghan.

Mucho Gusto, second in the Los Alamitos Futurity, “will be my out-of-town specialist,” Baffert said. Roadster, Baffert’s top prospect last summer, is back in serious training after getting time off following a third-place finish in the Del Mar Futurity.

“He should be ready sometime in January,” Baffert said.

Magic on Tap and Tale of the Union, both winners of their lone starts last summer at Del Mar, had setbacks following those races and could be ready deeper into the meet. Scalper (by Uncle Mo) debuts in race 5 on Wednesday, and Dessman (Union Rags) should debut soon.

Jerry Hollendorfer figures to put up the strongest fight against the Baffert juggernaut, with his troops headed by the comebacking Instagrand, who was taken out of training after winning the Best Pal last summer at Del Mar; at the time, he looked like the best 2-year-old on the circuit. Hollendorfer also has Galilean, winner of the King Glorious at Los Alamitos, and Flying Scotsman, who may be the best turf horse among the current 2-year-olds but who could get a shot on dirt at this meet.

Phil D’Amato has a nice prospect in recent Los Alamitos maiden winner Gum Tree Lane – “He’s going to love a mile and an eighth, a mile and a quarter,” D’Amato said – as well as unstarted maidens Young Phillip (Gemologist) and Silver Claim (Acclamation).

Others to watch include Ka’nah, a Gio Ponti colt who ran well in his debut at Del Mar for Ryan Hanson and makes his second start Wednesday; Nolo Contesto, a Pioneerof the Nile colt for John Sadler who had a brutal trip in his debut at Del Mar; and an unnamed Tiznow colt trained by Richard Mandella who has yet to race and has been working under his dam’s name, Starinthemeadow. Dan Blacker has a deep roster of 2-year-olds, many with grass pedigrees, like the English Channel colt Hackberry.

Baffert also is strong on the filly side of the ledger with the likes of Chasing Yesterday – American Pharoah’s half-sister – who won the Starlet at Los Alamitos, and Qahira, a powerful winner on debut at Del Mar’s fall meet. They are among the top prospects pointing to the Santa Anita Oaks on April 7. Baffert also has several fast-working fillies who have yet to debut, including Anuket (by Pioneerof the Nile), Blue Moonrise (Malibu Moon), Flor de La Mar (Tiznow), and Quotation (Congrats). Der Lu has been stopped on and is being given 60 days off, Baffert said.

Bellafina, the best filly on the circuit last summer and fall when she won the Del Mar Debutante and Chandelier, will get right to work in the Santa Ynez on Jan. 6, said Callaghan, her trainer. She is seeking to rebound from a disappointing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Her Santa Ynez rivals should include the Desormeaux-trained Reflect.

“The goal is to have two starts before the Santa Anita Oaks,” Callaghan said.

Callaghan also has a promising newcomer in the Exchange Rate filly Maxim Rate.

Brill is back in training for Hollendorfer but is quite a ways from a race. Michael McCarthy said Stirred should return in March, while Vibrance is getting a few months off after her poor try in the Starlet.

Top grass prospects include Del Mar winners Giza Goddess for John Shirreffs and Colonial Creed for Richard Baltas.

Other fillies to watch include Objective for Tom Proctor, Slewgoodtobetrue for Peter Eurton, and Soothing for Bob Hess Jr., all maidens who have shown promise in limited outings.

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