'Woke Up' regains his best form

ARCADIA, Calif. - Woke Up Dreamin needed a year off after losing a grueling match race at Del Mar in Sept. 2003. His form at the Oak Tree meeting this fall has made up for the absence.

tries for his second allowance win of the meeting Friday, when he faces six rivals over six furlongs.

Trainer Bob Baffert says Woke Up Dreamin will stay in conventional races and will not appear in any match races.

In the match race, over 1 1/16 miles, Woke Up Dreamin led by 2 1/2 lengths at the eighth pole under Julie Krone but lost by a nose to Chester's Choice.

After a 13-month layoff, Woke Up Dreamin pulled a surprise win at 14-1 in an allowance race over 6 1/2 furlongs Oct. 1.

"No more match races for me," Baffert said. "They went toe to toe all the way around there. He was ripped. He didn't bounce back."

Rene Douglas, who was aboard for the win on Oct. 1, has the mount on Woke Up Dreamin on Friday. A stalker, Woke Up Dreamin should have ample pace in front of him in a field that includes front-runners Long Range Missile and Indian Country.

is unbeaten in two starts, but has not started since winning a first-condition allowance race at Del Mar on Sept. 6. Trained by Ron Ellis, Long Range Missile drew the rail, which assures that he will be near the front early.

, trained by Baffert, won a maiden race and an allowance race at Hollywood Park. He has not started since winning the allowance race at Hollywood Park on July 17.

The race marks the comeback of Spellbinder, who was briefly on the Triple Crown trail earlier this year. Trained by Richard Mandella, Spellbinder won a maiden race and an allowance race over a mile and finished ninth in the Grade 2 San Rafael Stakes in early March. Spellbinder has never won at shorter than a mile.

P Town John is making his first start for Jeff Mullins. Previously trained by Jeff Bonde, P Town John won the Beau Brummel Stakes for 2-year-olds at Fairplex Park last year, but has made only one start this year, finishing fourth in an optional claimer at Bay Meadows on Oct. 1.

Mullins also starts Grand Appointment, a three-time winner.