Taiba facing more than Flightline in BC Classic, Baffert says

Perhaps in another year, trainer Bob Baffert would enter the Breeders’ Cup Classic brimming with confidence after his talented 3-year-old Taiba rolled to a three-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby.

But in a year in which Taiba has to face the undefeated Flightline - a 19 3/4-length winner of the Pacific Classic on Sept. 3 - Baffert is measured in his optimism. He also believes that Flightline isn’t the only top older male pointing to the Classic.

“There’s two super horses,” Baffert said Sunday. “Life Is Good, they quit talking about him. He’s a top-caliber horse, I had him and I know. Believe me, there’s not a lot separating those two top horses and that’s why it’s going to be a great Classic.”

Taiba and the Travers winner Epicenter, trained by Steve Asmussen, will be among the few that will be considered any sort of threat to Flightline and Life Is Good in the $6 million Classic to be run Nov. 5 at Keeneland. Taiba captured his second Grade 1 victory of his five-race career with a strong performance in the Pennsylvania Derby, a race for which he earned a 108 Beyer Speed Figure after running 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.67.

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“That’s a good time,” said Baffert, who won his fourth Pennsylvania Derby. “He needs to raise it up a notch. You don’t know what’s going to happen with those other two horses. I watched Flightline breeze here [Saturday], I don’t see a chink in the armor. He looked fabulous.”

For the second straight race, Taiba took dirt while racing on the inside then tipped out for the stretch and finished well.

Baffert said in the Haskell Taiba “was handling the dirt well. Yesterday, he handled it much better Mike [Smith] said.”

Taiba was scheduled to return to Southern California on Tuesday and will train at Santa Anita until the week before the race, Baffert said.

Zandon, the Pennsylvania Derby runner-up, came out of his race well, trainer Chad Brown said Sunday. Brown said he would not point Zandon to the Breeders’ Cup Classic and added he was unsure where the horse would run next or if he would even run again this year.

Cyberknife, third in the Pennsylvania Derby, returned to trainer Brad Cox’s barn at Churchill Downs on Sunday. Cyberknife was climbing from the kickback early on in the Pennsylvania Derby and ran creditably to get third.

Cyberknife earned a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Classic by virtue of his win in the Haskell. Cox said the horse would be considered for the Classic or the BC Dirt Mile - he can use his entry into the Classic for the Dirt Mile if he so chooses.

“He looked good this morning, we’ll see how he’s moving when we get him back to the track and let the dust settle and make a decision,” Cox said.

In other 3-year-old news, Epicenter worked five furlongs in 1:00.99 Sunday morning over the Oklahoma training track. He worked in company with the 2-year-old Powerful (given the same time), who is running in the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland.

Epicenter is scheduled to leave Saratoga on Monday night for Keeneland, trainer Steve Asmussen said.

Society possible for BC Distaff

Meanwhile, Asmussen won the Cotillion for the fifth time Saturday when Society led from gate to wire in the Grade 1, $1 million race for 3-year-old fillies.

If history is any barometer, Society is definitely worth a look in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, should her connections opt to run.

Asmussen’s four previous Cotillion winners all ran well in the Distaff. My Miss Aurelia (2012) finished second, Untapable (2014) won it, Midnight Bisou (2018) ran third, and Clairiere (2021) finished fourth, beaten three-quarters of a length. All but Midnight Bisou improved their Beyer Speed Figures 9 to 10 points.

Society earned a 100 Beyer in the Cotillion, a race she won by 5 3/4 lengths over Morning Matcha. It was Society’s fifth win from six starts, her lone loss coming in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, in which she stumbled badly at the start, rushed up and faded. Even after that race - where she was beaten by Nest and Secret Oath - Asmussen said he told owner Peter Blum to not be discouraged.

Asmussen said while “it didn’t go our way in there, those horses are not out of her league in the future. She’s proving that. She beat the Oaks winner.”

Indeed, Secret Oath, the Kentucky Oaks winner, finished third in the Cotillion.

Asmussen was not yet ready to put Society on the same plane as his other Cotillion winners if only because those horses had competed at the highest level more frequently.

“They were on that level and getting better,” Asmussen said. “Society improved a bit more dramatically.”

Society, a daughter of Gun Runner, was scheduled to ship to Keeneland early this week. Asmussen said how Society “trains at the racetrack at which the Breeders’ Cup is being run” will determine whether or not she runs in the race.

Asmussen is pointing the 4-year-old Clairiere to the BC Distaff.

Morning Matcha, who rallied for second at 45-1, will not be considered for the BC Distaff, trainer Butch Reid said Sunday. Morning Matcha could point to the $175,000 Comely Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 25 or get a freshening for a 4-year-old campaign.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas said immediately after Secret Oath’s third-place finish in the Cotillion that he would point the filly to the BC Distaff.

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