Stephens: Bayern powers home

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Bob Baffert said he’s been waiting for a breakout race from Bayern for a while. He finally got it Saturday at Belmont Park in the $500,000 Woody Stephens where Bayern drew off to a convincing 7 1/2-length victory over the late-running Top Fortitude with even-money favorite Social Inclusion finishing a tiring third.

Bayern, ninth after breaking slow and encountering early trouble in the Preakness, was disqualified from an apparent victory at Churchill Downs in the Grade 3 Derby Trial earlier this spring. He wore blinkers in that race and had blinkers back on for the seven-furlong Woody Stephens. Bayern was reunited in the Woody Stephens with jockey Gary Stevens, who’d guided him to easy victories in his first two career starts as well as a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Arkansas Derby.

Breaking from the rail, Bayern set a lively pace, posting splits of 21.96 seconds and 44.20 for the opening quarter- and half-mile while pressed by Pure Sensation and Social Inclusion, who had been in consideration for the Belmont Stakes until mid-week. Social Inclusion challenged the leader approaching the stretch but proved no match, steadily falling farther and farther back from Bayern, who drew off with complete authority in the final furlong. Top Fortitude rallied down the center of the course to best Social Inclusion by a head to be second with Kobe’s Back doing well to finish fourth after walking out of the gate well behind the others.

Bayern, a 3-year-old son of Offlee Wild, is owned by Kaleem Shah Inc. His final time of 1:20.75 was just 0.58 off the track record set by Left Bank nearly 12 years earlier. He paid $20.40.

“That was awesome,” said Baffert, who was not in attendance Saturday. “I’ve been waiting for something like that out of him for a while. It was great to see him do that. I thought he would do it in the Derby Trial, and frankly, it was mindboggling he didn’t blow away the field that day. He had no chance after he didn’t leave the gate in the Preakness. I put a little shorter blinker back on him for the race today, I thought it would help keep him more focused leaving the gate.”

Baffert said Bayern would return to California for a little freshening, after which he’ll make a decision on his next start.

“Gary [Stevens] always loved this horse, and I’ll sit down with him and discuss what to do next,” said Baffert. “I’d still like to try to stretch him out, and I think I’d like to try him in the Haskell.”