Baffert works Chitu, Midnight Hawk

ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Bob Baffert currently has three horses with sufficient points to run in the Kentucky Derby on May 3, and all soon will be traveling from California to Kentucky, where they will join Bayern, who was sent to Churchill Downs on Sunday following his third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby on Saturday.

Baffert’s best chance for the Derby appears to be Hoppertunity, a distant second to California Chrome in the Santa Anita Derby last weekend. Hoppertunity is scheduled to work at Santa Anita next weekend, then on April 21 will fly to Kentucky with Chitu and Midnight Hawk.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

Chitu and Midnight Hawk were first and second in the Sunland Derby on March 23 in their final prep. Both worked on Sunday morning at Santa Anita. Chitu went five furlongs in 1:00.80, while Midnight Hawk traveled six furlongs in 1:13.60.

As of now, Hoppertunity, Chitu, and Midnight Hawk are under consideration for the Derby. Baffert was less enthusiastic regarding Bayern, who currently has insufficient points to make the 20-horse Derby field anyway.

Regardless, though, Baffert said he would not make any final decisions regarding the Derby until those four 3-year-olds train at Churchill Downs.

“I’m not going to decide until they get there and train over it,” Baffert said Sunday.

Baffert was more encouraged by the work of Midnight Hawk on Sunday than that of Chitu.

Chitu, he said, “got a little tired.”

Even though Midnight Hawk was second-best to Chitu at Sunland, Baffert said Midnight Hawk has progressed since that race and has been training well.

Both California Chrome and Candy Boy, the one-three finishers in the Santa Anita Derby, are scheduled to have their first workout since that race next weekend.