Collected seems likely to ship for next start

ARCADIA, Calif. – Collected and Let’s Meet in Rio, who led a one-two finish for trainer Bob Baffert in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita, both came out of the race well, Baffert said Sunday morning, with their next starts to be determined.

Collected was making only his third start in the Sham, his first on dirt, and prevailed after a wide trip, but the Beyer Speed Figure of 80 was quite soft. Baffert indicated he likely would look around the country for Collected’s next start, being as he has Mor Spirit, the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity winner, slotted for the upcoming two-turn graded stakes at Santa Anita such as the Grade 3 Robert Lewis on Feb. 6.

Baffert’s deep roster of 3-year-olds also includes the multiple stakes winner Toews On Ice, runner-up in the Los Alamitos Futurity.

“I’ll probably ship around,” Baffert said. “There’s big pots all over the country.”

Baffert said he would probably look to races at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas for Collected.

“It’ll depend on the 3-year-old division here,” Baffert said.

Baffert said he thought Collected still had some upside, saying he thought the colt “looked a little heavy” in the paddock before the race.

What impressed Baffert most about Collected’s race is that he had raced four paths wide on the first turn and three paths wide on the final turn under Martin Garcia yet never wavered.

“He kept on digging,” Baffert said. “He has a ways to go, but it was an encouraging effort.”