By ED GOLDEN

Indian Charlie was never a secret.

"I worked Indian Charlie about 25 times before he made his first start at Del Mar last year," said jockey Kent Desormeaux. "After the first time I worked him, I said he was Kentucky Derby-bound."

Desormeaux has been looking at Indian Charlie’s well-defined rump ever since, including in three wins by the unbeaten California-bred son of In Excess before Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby, which "Charlie" won by an authoritative 2 1/4 lengths over stablemate Real Quiet, with Desormeaux in the irons.

Now both colts will leave Santa Anita on April 15 when Baffertmania again will hit Kentucky, where trainer Bob Baffert hopes to win his second straight Run for the Roses on May 2. This time he hopes to win it with Indian Charlie, who would be the first Cal-bred to win since Decidedly in 1962. Racing’s longest-running comedy, Baffert won the race last year with Silver Charm, and was second by a nose with Cavonnier in 1996.

"We knew this was a good horse down at Del Mar," Baffert said of Indian Charlie. "I had Souvenir Copy win in 1:04 1/5, and this horse won in 1:03 2/5. He’s a really smart horse. You only have to teach him something once, and he remembers."

Smart and a quick study, which gives him an edge on Silver Charm.

"What you see is what you get with Indian Charlie," said Baffert’s right-hand man, assistant Eoin Harty, a will o’ the wisp from The Curragh in Ireland. "The horse is 100 percent laid back all the time. But he’s all race horse and he’s a pro. I can’t say he’s as good as Silver Charm yet, but he looks every bit as good."

Gary Stevens essentially won the Santa Anita Derby on Indian Charlie when he eased the colt out from the rail on the first turn after breaking from the No. 1 post, and moved outside of pacesetter Orville N Wilbur’s. After that, it was simply a matter of when Stevens wanted to take the lead and by how far he wanted to win. There wasn’t a straw in his path once they straightened out down the backstretch.

"I can’t put into perspective how Indian Charlie compares to other 3-year-olds I’ve ridden, because I’ve never ridden a horse as lightly raced as he is who’s as mature as he is," Stevens said. "He runs like a horse who’s run 20 times. It’s just phenomenal. I could not dream that a horse who’s only had three races and run a mile-and-an-eighth in the Santa Anita Derby would equal the stakes record (1:47)."

Even track commentator Trevor Denman, who’s seen his share of rave-review race horses, gave "Charlie" his due.

"He couldn’t have been more impressive," Denman said. "Will he go the extra distance (1 1/4 miles of the Kentucky Derby?). I’d say he will. He certainly had something left at the end. He was nowhere near a tired horse. He could have gotten another furlong easily. He was brilliant. He’s got to have a big chance in Kentucky."

If 1997 Horse of the Year Favorite Trick wins Saturday’s Arkansas Derby, which he should in a romp for his 10th straight victory, and with undefeated Jim Beam winner Event of the Year heading for Kentucky with a perfect record, this could be the first Derby in its storied 123-year history with three undefeated starters.

"In the east, I think you’ve got to stick with Favorite Trick," Denman said. "He just keeps winning, and Lil’s Lad is in and out. If I’ve got to trust one of them, I’d trust Favorite Trick right now."

And from the El Nino-ravaged clime of Southern California, the trust has fallen on Indian Charlie, who vaulted to the head of the class of West Coast 3-year-olds with his smashing victory in the Santa Anita Derby.

Baffert looked nervous before the race as he walked to the mezzanine to watch from his box. But the pressure was off after he became the first trainer to run one-two in the Santa Anita Derby since Jimmy Smith did it in 1946 with Knockdown and Star Pilot.

"I knew they’d run one-two," Baffert smiled, "but I didn’t want to brag."

THE HOMESTRETCH: Southern California fans of Laffit Pincay Jr. can rest easy. The popular Hall of Fame rider will remain on the circuit and not move to Northern California at the end of the current Santa Anita meet. "Things are going a lot better and I’m feeling better," said the 51-year-old jockey who just bought his dream home in Granada Hills in the San Fernando Valley. "I’m very optimistic because I’m picking up good mounts. We love our new home. We found exactly what we were looking for. I tried Arcadia, Pasadena and Sierra Madre (all near Santa Anita), but I couldn’t find anything." Pincay, who has 25 wins to rank ninth in the current standings, is second all-time with 8,599, 234 behind Bill Shoemaker’s record 8,833. Pincay had considered moving to the Bay Area to pursue Shoe’s mark when live mounts became sparse in recent months. Pincay won only two races at last year’s 27-day Oak Tree meet. Laffit says he is still looking for a Kentucky Derby mount . . . Prosperous Bid has joined Baffert’s barn of talented 3-year-olds. Trainer Wally Dollase was informed the son of Mr. Prospector would be removed from his barn Sunday morning. "I received a call from (Golden Eagle Farm racing manager) Rick Taylor and was told the horse was going to Baffert," Dollase said. "It’s a tough blow because he’s a talented horse and I really liked being around him." Prosperous Bid will make his next start in Sunday’s Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Dollase’s son-in-law, jockey Corey Nakatani, retains the mount, Baffert said . . . It’s been a wild ride for Stevens and his super agent, Las Vegan Ron Anderson. Stevens’ total purse money in his last four victories amounted to $5.4 million. The wins came on Silver Charm in the $4 million Dubai World Cup; Annus Mirabilis in the $500,000 Dubai Duty Free; Indian Charlie in the SA Derby, and Hawksley Hill in the $150,000 El Rincon Handicap. And awaiting on Friday is Glitter Woman in the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park . . . From website reader Roy F.: "I really enjoy your writing style and the informative content of your articles. Your mention of Cyrano Storme brought back memories of an old gelding named Maxwell G., who raced at Arlington Park and Turfway Park in the 1970’s. He would regularly win from way, way off the pace. He was a router and ran at the $3,000-$3,500 level. I believe he raced until he was 13." . . . Last add Ben Cecil-Jenine Sahadi honeymoon in the Cayman Islands: "The first day in Jamaica wasn’t good," Sahadi said. "We weren’t happy with the hotel and there wasn’t much around there. So we went jet-skiing, saw some sea turtles and Ben even caught a fish." While Jenine enjoyed the 10-day respite from training, Cecil called on his cellular phone and got a live call of each race, which included one his runners. The highlight was a nose victory by the Cecil-trained Captain Collins over the Sahadi-trained Blackwater in the third race on March 22. "That didn’t go down very well with Jenine," Cecil said.