Breeders' Cup Sprint: Baker not Joking about this chances

Usually, a long road trip for trainer Charlton Baker and his horses means going from Finger Lakes to Belmont Park or vice versa. But Baker and his 7-year-old gelding Joking soon will embark on a serious road trip, boarding flights for Southern California to compete in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 5.

Baker, 50, has transformed the former claimer Joking into one of the nation’s premier sprinters, with the gelded son of Unbridled Humor capping a four-race win streak this month with a victory in the Vosburgh to give the Jamaican-born horseman the first Grade 1 win of his career.

Baker haltered Joking for himself for a bargain $20,000 at Aqueduct in January 2014.

“He had some class in his past performances,” Baker said. “He ran a 92 Beyer in his third start, but he always seemed to be a nervous horse who wasn’t performing at his best when I watched him in the paddock and decided to take him. He was basically a nervous wreck, so I figured if you could get him to relax and maybe put on a little more weight, his natural ability would come out again.”

Joking improved enough to earn nearly $180,000 from 11 starts in 2015 before having a breakout year this season, with four victories in five starts, including a score in the Grade 2 True North.

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“He’s just matured and relaxed to the point where he doesn’t waste energy anymore when he runs,” said Baker. “You can even see it in his training. He’s so much more settled and comfortable now – the best he’s ever been.”

Baker originally planned to send Joking to Santa Anita 10 days ahead of the Sprint to get used to the surroundings, but he recently called an audible. Joking will now ship on the last flight available out of New York the week of the Breeders’ Cup.

“He had a maintenance breeze here the other morning and will have two more half-miles before he ships,” said Baker. “The more I thought about it, the more I felt getting him up there right on top of the race would be a better situation for him. He’s always been good on a van, but he’s never shipped by air before, so that’s one of the unknowns we are facing.”

Baker is counting on Joking’s come-from-behind running style being a big advantage in the Sprint.

“There’s certainly a lot of speed in there, and he always needs that to make his run,” said Baker. “You never know how the track will be playing that day. It’s really all about the track, but he always runs his race, and looking at the Sprint on paper, they should be coming back to him at the end.”

This has been a breakout year for Baker, who has 30 horses stabled at Belmont and another 20 at Finger Lakes.

“My brother Rohan takes care of the horses at Finger Lakes,” said Baker. “I try to make it out there once every week or two and spend some time with the horses there and my family. It’s been a great year all around, and winning the Breeders’ Cup would certainly be a great way to cap it off.”

One of the potential pace horses for the Sprint, Santa Anita Sprint Championship runner-up All Run, will bypass the Breeders’ Cup, trainer Richard Baltas said on Wednesday. All Run led to midstretch before proving no match for likely Sprint favorite Lord Nelson at Santa Anita on Oct. 8.