Santa Anita: Baffert weighing options for Santa Anita Derby

ARCADIA, Calif. – While the list of outsiders for the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 5 continues to grow, trainer Bob Baffert said Friday that he is uncertain which of his Triple Crown hopefuls will run in California’s richest race for 3-year-olds.

A field of seven to nine horses is likely for the Santa Anita Derby, which is run over 1 1/8 miles. The race is led by California Chrome, the winner of the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes March 8, and Candy Boy, who won the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes on Feb. 8.

Baffert said Friday he is likely to wait until Tuesday to finalize his team, with Bayern, Hoppertunity, and The Admiral among the candidates. Bayern, unbeaten in two starts but yet to start in a stakes, could be redirected to the $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 12 at Oaklawn Park.

“California Chrome messes me all up,” Baffert said. “I have too much respect for him.”

Baffert said he “might change his mind” on which of his horses to run. He said he waited until the Tuesday before in recent weeks to finalize plans for races such as the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 15 or the Sunland Park Derby in New Mexico on March 23.

Baffert won the Rebel with Hoppertunity and the Sunland Park Derby with Chitu.

“I won’t make that decision until Tuesday,” he said. “I don’t like to do anything until the last minute.”

Plans are more certain for Schoolofhardrocks, who was fourth in the San Felipe Stakes, and for the maiden Rprettyboyfloyd. Their trainers said Friday that those horses will run in the Santa Anita Derby.

Schoolofhardrocks worked six furlongs in 1:12.80 on Friday. Trained by Dave Hofmans for John and Jerry Amerman, the horse beat maidens in his debut at Del Mar last August, his only other start.

Hofmans said the absence of a large field in the Santa Anita Derby makes the race appealing, even with the presence of tough rivals such as California Chrome and Candy Boy.

“We could go to the Blue Grass at Keeneland and run against 12 or 14,” he said.

“If he does well, we’ll have to make a decision,” Hofmans said, referring to a potential Triple Crown start. “What we have going for us is that he’s a fresh horse.”

Rprettyboyfloyd is winless in five starts, including a second in a maiden race over 1 1/16 miles March 23, when he led in deep stretch but was passed and beaten by a head.

Trainer Denise Breuer said Friday that leading jockey Rafael Bejarano will ride Rprettyboyfloyd, who is owned by Karl Pergola. Breuer said Rprettyboyfloyd will be fitted with blinkers, which he did not wear March 23.

Other candidates for the Santa Anita Derby include the maiden race winner Big Tire, Friendswith K Mill, second to The Admiral in an allowance race March 16, and the maiden Dublin Up.

Enhanced surveillance ahead of race

All runners for the Santa Anita Derby will be subjected to enhanced surveillance in the 72 hours before the race, the California Horse Racing Board announced Thursday. A similar plan was in place for the 2013 Santa Anita Derby and the 2013 Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita.

In a statement, the racing board said prerace testing will be done for horses nominated to the Santa Anita Derby, Santa Anita Oaks, and Providencia Stakes, the three main races April 5. Additional security personnel will be present in the stable area in the days before the Santa Anita Derby, the racing board said.

The prerace testing is financed by a Jockey Club grant to Santa Anita. Prerace testing for graded stakes will continue through 2014 in California, the racing board said.

Prerace testing was conducted last December in advance of two major Quarter Horse races at Los Alamitos – the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and the Champion of Champions.

Celebrated jockeys swap for Oaks

Hall of Fame jockeys Mike Smith and Gary Stevens have switched mounts for the $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks. Stevens rode Fashion Plate to victory in the Las Virgenes Stakes on Feb. 1 but was expected to ride Ria Antonia in the Grade 1 Oaks over 1 1/16 miles. As a result, Smith had been named on Fashion Plate.

On Friday, the trainers of those horses and Stevens said the plan has been reversed. Stevens will stay on Fashion Plate, while Smith will ride Ria Antonia, who was promoted from second to first in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies here last November.

Stevens said his history with Fashion Plate played a role in keeping the mount.

“I won a Grade 1 on her,” he said. “It’s the right thing to do.”

Fashion Plate is trained by Simon Callaghan, who said Friday he supports the decision.

“It’s hard to get off a filly you just won a Grade 1 on for a filly that you’ve never ridden,” Callaghan said.

Ria Antonia will make her first start for Baffert in the Santa Anita Oaks. Interestingly, Stevens had worked Ria Antonia, and Smith had worked Fashion Plate in recent weeks.

“Mike has worked my filly, so no advantage,” Stevens said.