Zulfikhar, Ax Man give Baffert one-two punch in allowance

ARCADIA, Calif. – They’re getting the band back together, as trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Martin Garcia reunite on Thursday at Santa Anita with the 3-year-old colt Zulfikhar, who returns to a sprint but faces a formidable rival in stablemate Ax Man in the day’s featured seventh race, a six-furlong first-level allowance.

Baffert and Garcia have had great success together, highlighted by wins in the Kentucky Oaks, Preakness, Breeders’ Cup Classic, and last year’s Pacific Classic, but they’ve taken breaks from one another at times, including this winter, when Garcia decamped to Aqueduct.

Garcia has returned to California, and immediately got work with Baffert, who said Garcia is “the best” jockey he’s ever worked with when it comes to breezing horses in the morning.

“Nobody knows my program better than him,” Baffert said. “He’s got it down.”

Zulfikhar won first time out with Garcia last July, then returned from a lengthy layoff and finished fourth in a 1 1/16-mile first-level allowance at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 19.

“I threw him into the deep end of the pool going long,” Baffert said.

Zulfikhar breaks from the rail on Thursday.

“I was hoping this race would be 6 1/2 furlongs,” Baffert said, referencing the way the race was written in the condition book, “but they couldn’t get it to go unless it was six.”

The shorter distance, by contrast, may aid Baffert’s other runner, the fleet Ax Man, who was a romping winner of his debut on Jan. 1 going six furlongs before he was caught up in a severe pace duel and faded when favored at odds-on in the seven-furlong San Vicente on Feb. 10.

Ax Man drew favorably, on the outside of the six-horse field, and he will be removing the blinkers he wore in his first two starts.

“I’m taking the blinkers off because I’d like to try and stretch him out next time,” Baffert said. “He got a good draw. My other horse got a bad draw.”

The eight-race card begins at noon Pacific. There is $77,730.63 already in the kitty in the single-ticket jackpot portion of the pick six.

KEY CONTENDERS

Ax Man, by Misremembered
Beyers: 68-97

◗ The San Vicente came up tough for him, as he drew the rail and was pressured through hot fractions before yielding. He has a much more favorable scenario on Thursday and should be favored over his stablemate.

◗ Drayden Van Dyke, who has ridden him in his first two starts, is back aboard.

Zulfikhar, by Bodemeister
Beyers: 76-82

◗ He was ambitiously placed last time, going long in his first start in more than seven months.

◗ He won his debut in a sprint when breaking from post 2 in a field of eight.

Graycaster, by Graydar
Last 3 Beyers: 82-73-67

◗ He was gelded before his last start and that turned around his form, as he graduated in start number four with a career-best Beyer.