Bayern punches ticket to Haskell with strong work

DEL MAR, Calif. – When trainer Bob Baffert got to work on Monday morning at Del Mar, he wasn’t sure what he was going to do with Bayern.

Though Bayern was scheduled to work a couple hours later, Baffert was weighing the merits of running him in the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell at Monmouth on Sunday, or bypassing that 1 1/8-mile race, keeping Bayern around one turn, and awaiting the Grade 1 King’s Bishop at seven furlongs next month at Saratoga.

“The King’s Bishop is the goal,” Baffert said while sitting in the grandstand at 6:30 a.m. “But I’ve got until later today to make up my mind. Let’s see how he works today.”

A couple hours later, shortly after the second renovation break, Bayern made his bid to run, now. He blew away a workmate with drill officially timed as five furlongs in 59.80 seconds. Bayern continued on briskly with a strong gallop-out.

“It was a Haskell move,” Baffert said. “If I passed that race, I was just going to wait for the King’s Bishop. He earned his way today. He went really nice. Now, I’ve got to work out the rider situation.”

Martin Garcia was aboard Bayern for the drill, but he had been in to ride Declassify in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar, also on Sunday. Both Garcia and Mike Smith are represented by the same agent, Brad Pegram. So, Baffert decided to sent Garcia to the Haskell, and have Smith remain at Del Mar for Declassify, according to Pegram.

Both Bayern and Declassify are trained by Baffert and owned by Kaleem Shah.

The mount on Bayern came open when Gary Stevens announced he had to undergo replacement surgery on his right knee. Stevens had ridden Bayern to his victory in the Woody Stephens on the Belmont Stakes undercard last month. Baffert said his phone starting going off immediately with calls from agents regarding Bayern, when Stevens first said he had to suspend his career.

Shah was eager to run in the Haskell. He watched the workout on Monday morning, and told Baffert, “Stick to the original plan, and you will be fine.”

The plane to take Bayern to New Jersey is scheduled to leave California on Thursday.