McKinzie lukewarm Cup fave

ARCADIA, Calif. — Plenty of good horses, just no standout. And the favorite is lukewarm at best. But the Breeders’ Cup Classic still promises to have intrigue.

At 3-1, McKinzie is the early choice for Saturday’s $6 million Classic on his home track.

He’s been first or second in 12 of 13 career starts and won seven times. But after two wins and four seconds this year, trainer Bob Baffert pink-slipped fellow Hall of Famer Mike Smith and replaced him with Joel Rosario in the saddle.

The 14-race, season-ending championships started with five races Friday. Nine more will be run on Day 2.

The event culminates with the 1 ¼-mile Classic shown live in prime time on NBC.

McKinzie takes on 10 rivals, including Code of Honor, Preakness winner War of Will and mare Elate, who is challenging males on the 10th anniversary of superstar mare Zenyatta’s Classic victory over the same track.

“He needs to get away from the gate and get into the race early,” Baffert said. “That’s the way he wants to run and he gets stronger as he goes. But he’s got to show up that day. I’ve seen great fields put together, but a lot of horses don’t show up. It’s who shows up is going to get the big prize.”

McKinzie has lost three straight at Santa Anita this year.

“That’s why I did the jockey switch,” Baffert said.

The trainer has won the Classic three times and he’d like to do it again with McKinzie. The 4-year-old colt is named for Brad McKinzie, a racing executive and Baffert pal since their college days at the University of Arizona and a friend of the co-owners. McKinzie died of cancer at 62 in 2017.

Purchased for $170,000, McKinzie has earned over $2.2 million.

“We’re all living through this horse, thinking about Brad,” Baffert said. “I feel a little extra pressure on me when this horse runs because I know we’re all thinking about him.