San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
AUTHENTIC’S VICTORY IS EASY ON THE EARS
Baffert adds plugs and just might have the Derby favorite
It’s two months away, but the Kentucky Derby has a favorite, Authentic. The 3-yearold colt breezed to a dominating and effortless victory in the San Felipe Stakes, one of the toughest Derby prep races.
Authentic’s winning margin was 21⁄4 lengths, but it could have been larger had jockey Drayden Van Dyke asked him for more down the stretch. When Authentic arrived in the winner’s circle, he wasn’t breathing hard, as if he could have run another 11⁄16 miles Saturday at Santa Anita.
Having an early favorite for the Kentucky Derby is nothing new for trainer Bob Baffert. In fact, he has six horses that could be considered as possible Derby runners if they do well in the next month.
Saturday’s victory also erased any doubts that Authentic was too green to handle the grueling Derby trail. In his last race, the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita, he zigzagged down the homestretch, throwing his head around. Baffert made sure that didn’t happen this time. He gave him earplugs.
“He’s never done that,” Baffert said. “I was pretty surprised … and I looked it over and thought it’s got to be the noise. I didn’t want to put blinkers on him. He’s keen as he is.”
So, he turned to brown sheepskin earplugs that cost $6.
“Usually I have him on (earplugs) but take them off behind the gate,” Baffert said. “I really think last time it was the noise. He heard it for the first time (in the Sham).
“Some horses are just really delicate to sound, so we put ’em in and it seemed like it worked. … He handled everything perfectly today.”
This isn’t the first time Baffert, and many other trainers, have used the simple remedy for a horse that startles easily. Baffert used them on Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.
“I turned American Pharoah around for $6,” Baffert said, laughing. “I even told the company (that made them), ‘You do realize (I won the Triple Crown with them).’ They never got back to me.”
Saturday’s victory was Baffert’s seventh in the San Felipe, but his winning horse in this race has never won the Kentucky Derby. Last year, the San Felipe was not held as Santa Anita was shut down in the wake of a series of horse deaths.
The seven-horse race belonged to Authentic ($4.40) pretty much out of the gate. He was hustled to the lead and was never really challenged. Honor A.P. made a run at him near mid-stretch, but Van Dyke asked Authentic for more and he got as much as he needed.
“It was a beautiful trip,” Van Dyke said. “He took a little tiny stumble out of the gate, but it wasn’t enough to cost us. I was just in cruise control. I was seeing if anybody was going to test me to pick it up.
“I kept him going a few times, just to keep him focused. He got off amazing and it seemed like there’s more in the tank.”
The tank will get refilled for his next start, which should be the Santa Anita Derby on April 4.
The win was worth 50 Kentucky Derby points, which will be enough to qualify him for the race May 2.
Sadler scores again
Trainer John Sadler woke up Saturday morning to learn that his top older horse, Gift Box, had minor swelling in his left front ankle and had to be scratched from the Santa Anita Handicap.
It seemed as if his chances of becoming the first trainer to win the race, known as the Big ’Cap, three years in a row were over. But he did have a long shot named Combatant in the race.
It didn’t seem evident in the morning, but Sadler’s backup plan was a winner.
Combatant ($21.20), who had never run 11⁄4 miles, came four wide into the stretch, took the lead, and held on to win what was once Santa Anita’s signature race by a neck. Multiplier used a ground-saving rail trip to finish second.
Sadler also had the winner in the Grade II $200,000 San Carlos Stakes for older horses going 7 furlongs. Flagstaff ($4), ridden by Victor Espinoza, sat right off the lead set by stablemate St. Joe Bay and swept four wide in the stretch to win by 11⁄4 lengths.
“He waits a little bit when he gets in front, so Victor was trying to sit behind as long as he could,” Sadler said. “Victor told me he got to the front a little quick but he was loaded (Saturday). He had plenty of horse. He’s really strong.”
In the Grade I $400,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile for turf horses, River Boyne ($12) edged in front in a threehorse finish to beat race favorite Got Stormy and Next Shares.