Santa Anita
Bayern works towards Churchill Downs Stakes
Barbara D. Livingston Bayern is being polnted to the $500,000 Churchill Downs Stakes on the Kentucky Derby undercard.
Bayern, unraced since winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita last November, worked seven furlongs from the gate in 1:24.40 on Wednesday at Santa Anita.
The exercise was one of Bayern’s final major workouts before a scheduled start in the $500,000 Churchill Downs Stakes at seven furlongs May 2, a race on the Kentucky Derby undercard.
“He needed it,” trainer Bob Baffert said of the workout.
Bayern races for Kaleem Shah. The 4-year-old Bayern was expected to start earlier this year at Santa Anita but was briefly sidelined with a foot issue. He has been working steadily in the last month, often in quick times.