GOLDEN GLIMPSES #56 GOLDEN GLIMPSES #56 ULCERS SIDELINE 'BULL' AS BAFFERT EYES TRIPLE CROWN
Bob Baffert came within inches of winning the Kentucky Derby last year.
But just a month before the world's most popular horse race, the trainer whose hair is whiter than Snow White's skin, wasn't sure he had a legitimate Derby contender.
"It wasn't until Cavonnier won the Santa Anita Derby that I knew I had a Derby horse," said Baffert, who has at least two 3-year-olds about to embark on the Triple Crown trail this year -- In Excessive Bull and Silver Charm.
But plans can change as quickly as a horse can flick flies off his rump. Take, for example, In Excessive Bull.
"He came down with an ulcer problem in his throat, and he'll miss two weeks of training," Baffert said. "He probably had it when he ran his last race. It's aggravating, but if I don't stop, it will get worse. I have to let it heal. He'll probably run the end of February.
"Silver Charm will run in the San Vicente (seven furlongs on Feb. 8). He had a minor setback with a viral infection, but he worked Sunday in 1:13 and change. I wanted to run him in the San Miguel, but the timing wasn't right."
Baffert remains very high on In Excessive Bull, especially after the Cal-bred's gritty front-running victory in the seven-furlong California Breeders' Cup Championship on Dec. 28. "That was an awesome performance, considering he led all the way," Baffert said. "It was very impressive." Still, Baffert was reluctant to compare The Bull and Silver Charm to Cavonnier, who lost the Derby to Grindstone in the final jump.
"The Bull's ahead of Cavonnier," Baffert said, "but they're two different type of horses. In Excessive Bull is a much faster horse, speedwise. We just don't know how far he's going to carry it. He hasn't answered that. Cavonnier really didn't answer it until he won the Santa Anita Derby, so you can't compare. They're all different, either through their conformation or their breeding . . . the horse that reminds me of Cavonnier is Inexcessively Good (who recently broke his maiden by three lengths)."
Baffert has three sophomore sleepers, Photarc, Peary Mason and Batoile.
"Photarc ran well (a fast-closing second, beaten a head by In Excessive Bull in the Cal Championship) and he came out of the race good. He has some talent, too." Photarc finished ninth in Saturday's Golden Gate Derby. "They reported that he bled a little bit, but I'm not using that as an excuse," Baffert said. "He was too far back early.
"Peary Mason (sixth behind In Excessive Bull and Photarc, beaten
5 1/2 lengths) is improving, too. He's going to be a good horse." Peary Mason was entered in a one-mile allowance race last Saturday, but had to be scratched when he became cast in his stall. "As of now, the only one I'd leave here for the Santa Anita Derby (April 5) is Batoile."
With the Run for the Roses still more than three months away (May 3), anything can happen. But Baffert wouldn't trade places.
"There are some other good 3-year-olds right here in California, let alone horses like Boston Harbor and Ordway," Baffert said. "Mud Route could be one of them. But you have to wait and see what they do in their second out, after they break their maiden." (What Mud Route did was go wire-to-wire in a handy 2 1/4-length romp in a one-mile allowance race on Saturday).
Baffert enjoyed traveling on his inaugural Triple Crowntrail last year, but it set no training precedent for him. He plans to play it by ear again.
"Your training methods, track surfaces and where you run don't make any difference," Baffert said. "The only time you have an advantage in the Triple Crown is when you've got a good horse. Remember that, OK? There's no other advantage. You have to stick to your game plan and not get caught up in all the hype. That's the whole key -- especially if you're stabled next to Unbridled's Song."
Bob Baffert has been there, done that. No matter how he does it, this year, he wants to get it right. All he needs is a little luck.
GOLDEN PICKS
LA ROSA -- Classy East Coast invader can only benefit from authoritative victory in turf debut, since it was her first start in eight months and first for the blazing Baffert barn.
REGAL COZZENE -- Never had her heart in it on off-track, despite being well-bet. Deserves another chance on fast strip.
THE HOMESTRETCH: The main point of dispute between California race tracks and the Nevada Pari-Mutuel Association remains the percentage fees paid by the casinos to the tracks to receive their signal. But the simulcast stalemate, well into its second month, now seems beyond reason. One insider says the real issues have taken a back seat to what has become a face-saving contest. . . Add Golden winners: Mr Peter P. ($6.20) and Pacificbounty, daylight winner of the Golden Gate Derby at a juicy $24.40 payoff . . . Unless Gentlemen runs an awesome race in the Feb. 2 San Antonio Handicap, Dick Mandella will skip the $1-million Santa Anita Handicap on March 2 and point the Argentine-bred to the $4-million Dubai World Cup on March 29. "Right now we'll pass, but if he's doing super, he could run in both. But he'd have to be doing so good, I couldn't stand not to run him. I do plan to run Siphon in the San Antonio, then come back in the Big 'Cap, and if he's lucky enough to be invited, I'll take both Gentlemen and Siphon to Dubai." Oddly, one of Gentlemen's owners is R.D. Hubbard, head honcho at Hollywood Park, where the Gold Cup is middle leg of the $3-million MGM Grand Classic bonus. Why wouldn't he want his horse to run in the first leg, the Santa Anita Handicap?
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