War Emblem doing well the morning after

BALTIMORE - War Emblem, whose victory in Saturday's Preakness Stakes put him one race away from sweeping the Triple Crown, came out of the race better than he did the Kentucky Derby, according to trainer Bob Baffert, who hopes War Emblem can complete a sweep that eluded his colts Silver Charm and Real Quiet.

"He's pretty wild today," Baffert said at Pimlico Race Course on Sunday morning. "After the Derby, he was quiet and tired. Today, he's pretty rambunctious."

War Emblem was scheduled on Sunday afternoon to fly back to Louisville's Churchill Downs, where he will train for the next 2 1/2 weeks for the June 8 Belmont Stakes. The is the same schedule Baffert has used with his three previous Preakness winners, Silver Charm, Real Quiet, and Point Given. Of those three, both Silver Charm and Real Quiet finished second in the Belmont, while Point Given won it.

Point Given lost last year's Derby, but since then, Baffert and Prince Ahmed Salman's The Thoroughbred Corporation have won four consecutive Triple Crown races.

It appears only one other horse from the Preakness will go on to the Belmont. Proud Citizen, who finished third in the Preakness after finishing second in the Derby, will try to stop War Emblem from becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978. Proud Citizen was flown back to Churchill Downs early Sunday morning.

Perfect Drift, the third-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, is among the horses who passed the Preakness to await the Belmont. Other potential Belmont starters include Sunday Break, who is scheduled to run in this Saturday's Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park, and the 1-2 finishers from the recent Lone Star Derby, Wiseman's Ferry and Tracemark. Essence of Dubai also is pointing for the Belmont.

Baffert said that in taking over the training of War Emblem in recent weeks, "I feel like Phil Jackson taking over the Lakers."

"Last year, I brought Shaquille O'Neal to the Belmont," Baffert said, referring to the massive Point Given. "This year, I've got Kobe Bryant."