Bayern to get distance test in Travers Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When Bob Baffert sent Bayern out for a workout Tuesday at Del Mar, he said he was looking for a reason not to put the speedy 3-year-old on a plane Wednesday morning headed for Saratoga and Saturday’s $1.25 million Travers Stakes.

“I’m always looking for an excuse not to get on the plane,” Baffert said. “So far, I haven’t found it.”

Thus, after Bayern worked a half-mile in 48 seconds in company, Baffert was set to send Bayern across the country Wednesday for the Grade 1 Travers, where he is expected to face nine rivals, including Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist and Jim Dandy Stakes winner Wicked Strong in the 1 1/4-mile race. It is a distance that Bayern has yet to try in his seven-race career.

“I’m not totally convinced yet that he can get a mile and a quarter, but he’s pretty fast,” Baffert said.

Bayern, a son of Offlee Wild owned by Kaleem Shah, displayed his brilliant speed in blowout victories in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens going seven furlongs at Belmont in June and the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational going 1 1/8 miles at Monmouth Park four weeks ago.

The farthest Bayern has run is 1 3/16 miles in the Preakness Stakes. That didn’t work out. After getting banged around at the start, Bayern was eighth going into the first turn. He never reached contention and finished ninth, beaten 21 lengths by California Chrome.

Baffert began to wonder whether he was simply running Bayern farther than he wants to run. The horse came out of the Preakness well enough for Baffert to wheel him back in three weeks in the Woody Stephens. When the horse drew the rail in a 13-horse field, the plan became simple. Baffert told jockey Gary Stevens “to let him rip” when the doors opened.

Bayern was most impressive, running seven furlongs in 1:20.75 and earning a 108 Beyer Speed Figure.

“We’ve been trying to rate him. That’s not working; let him rip,” Baffert said. “I thought he’d run well, but what he did that day, I was blown away.”

Knowing that speed usually works in the Haskell, Baffert then shipped Bayern across the country for that race. Again, Bayern was a front-running tour de force, winning by 7 1/2 lengths, running 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.82, and earning a 107 Beyer.

Going into the Haskell, Baffert was thinking it would be a steppingstone to the Grade 1 King’s Bishop, a seven-furlong race at Saratoga. Coming out of the Haskell, it became a matter of pointing to the Travers or waiting for the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx on Sept. 20.

“After watching the Haskell, I think he can get a mile and a quarter with these 3-year-olds,” said Baffert, whose lone Travers win came in 2001 with Point Given. “We’re going to find out if he can get it.”

Martin Garcia, aboard for the Haskell victory, will again be back on Bayern. The instructions, again, will be simple.

“You have to let him go and what happens, happens. You can’t worry about it,” Baffert said. “When you have a brilliant horse with that kind of speed, you have to use it.”