With imposing duo set for Derby, Baffert looks downfield at third option

Roadster and Game Winner are in. On the Kentucky Derby front Sunday morning, that literally was yesterday’s news for trainer Bob Baffert, who now has his sights set on Saturday, when he’ll attempt to get his third starter in the May 4 Derby if Improbable can run well enough in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park.

“Like Belichick would say,” Baffert said, mimicking Bill Belichick, the coach of the National Football League’s New England Patriots, “it’s on to Hot Springs.”

Improbable, who suffered the first loss of his career in a division of the Rebel last month, currently has 25 points under the system used by Churchill Downs to determine the field for the Derby. He likely would need to finish at least third – which is worth 20 points – to have sufficient points to make the Derby field.

Points are no longer a concern with Roadster. He came into the Santa Anita Derby with zero points and exited with 100, as well as a first-place check for $600,000 and a Grade 1 win. He defeated his stablemate Game Winner by a half-length while earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 98 over a deep, safe Santa Anita main track.

“What was really impressive is that no one was making up ground on that deep track,” Baffert said of Roadster, who rallied from fifth in the six-horse field. “It was a good schooling.”

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Baffert said Roadster “always has shown he’s a brilliant horse,” but his career was interrupted last summer when he needed surgery for a breathing problem following a third-place finish in the Del Mar Futurity, won by Game Winner. That is his lone loss in four starts, and he is 2 for 2 since returning. He is now 1-1 in head-to-head matchups vs. Game Winner.

Game Winner earned 40 points on Saturday and now has 85 points overall, guaranteeing him a spot in the Derby. He was coming back just three weeks after suffering his first career loss in a division of the Rebel.

“Now he’s ready,” Baffert said.

Roadster and Game Winner “both looked good today,” Baffert said Sunday morning.

“They just need a week of chilling now, and then we’ll decide what to do,” he added.

Improbable is scheduled to go to Kentucky immediately following the Arkansas Derby, Baffert said. What Baffert has yet to decide is whether to have Game Winner and Roadster also head there soon to have them in the same spot, or to keep Roadster and Game Winner at Santa Anita.

Baffert faced a similar situation in 2015. American Pharoah went straight to Kentucky after the Arkansas Derby, while Dortmund – the Santa Anita Derby winner – trained in California and then came to Churchill Downs the week of the race. Justify, last year’s Santa Anita Derby winner, also came to Kentucky the week of the Derby after having his final drill at Santa Anita.

“I’m just going to play it by ear. Right now, I’m focused on the Arkansas Derby,” Baffert said.

Both Omaha Beach, trained by Richard Mandella, and Galilean, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, will travel from California with Improbable to run in the Arkansas Derby. Galilean completed his serious training on Sunday morning at Los Alamitos, going six furlongs in 1:14.60 under jockey Flavien Prat, who has the mount on Saturday.

“He went real good,” Hollendorfer said Sunday. “The time wasn’t spectacularly fast, but he went the last quarter in 23 and change. Very happy with that.”

Hollendorfer said he is considering removing blinkers from Galilean for the Arkansas Derby. Galilean likely needs a one-two finish to move on to the Kentucky Derby, as he currently has 7.5 points. First is worth 100 points, second 40.

Hollendorfer is also sending the filly Brill to Oaklawn to run in the Fantasy on Friday in hopes of moving on to the Kentucky Oaks on May 3. She worked a half-mile in 48.60 seconds Sunday at Los Alamitos.

Hollendorfer said that Instagrand, third in the Santa Anita Derby on Saturday while beaten 2 1/4 lengths, was unlikely to make the Derby. He has 30 points.

“There are so many good races for 3-year-olds. We’ll think it over and see what the best plan is going forward,” said Hollendorfer, who said he would speak with owner Larry Best as to what direction to take. “Larry wanted to make the Derby, but we didn’t get enough points. He’s a good horse that has speed. We just came up against two really good horses yesterday.”