Baffert’s Authentic goes wire- to- wire
LEXINGTON, KY. » From start to finish, Authentic left no doubt he was the horse to beat in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
His dominant performance on another big stage should also end the debate about this year’s top 3- yearold, strange as the season has been because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Authentic won the Classic in the same fashion he took the rescheduled Kentucky Derby two months ago, going wire- to- wire for a 2 ¼ - length victory over Improbable that gave trainer Bob Baffert a 1- 2 finish on a warm, sunny fall Saturday at Keeneland.
And perhaps erased Baffert’s regret over Authentic’s narrow runner- up finish to filly Swiss Skydiver in last month’s Preakness, also shifted to the fall because of the pandemic.
“He just struggled that day,” Baffert said, “but we got him back and I’ve got a great team and we just tightened the screws on him.
“He’s just matured. He’s maturing right now and this ... is the time of the year they catch up.”
There wasn’t any catching up to Authentic on Saturday as he broke quickly out of the No. 9 gate between stablemates and set the pace for the 10- horse field to follow. Maximum Security, last year’s 3- yearold champion, pursued for a while before Global Security overtook him and then was passed by Improbable entering the stretch.
Authentic, at 9- 2, never let up with John Velazquez aboard and extended his lead by the end.
“I didn’t think it was that much speed in the race, other than the other horse that Bob had on outside,” said the Hall of Fame jockey, referring to Maximum Security. “And I thought we were going to be quicker than him anyway.
“Once we got in front and I passed the wire for the first time, I mean, it was pretty easy from there, yeah.”
Authentic earned his fifth win with two seconds in seven starts this year, strengthening his case as the year’s top 3- year- old. The victory bookended a successful day for Baffert, whose filly Gamine opened the $ 31 million season- ending world championships with a dominant, recordsetting win in the $ 1 million Filly and Mare Sprint.
Both horses will certainly be named in any Eclipse Award discussion, and Baffert’s bias for Authentic was obvious.
Authentic covered 1 ¼ miles in 1: 59.19 in the $ 6 million marquee event and paid $ 10.40, $ 5.40 and $ 4.20. Improbable returned $ 4.80 and $ 3.30 while Global Campaign paid $ 8.80.
Order of Australia, a 73- 1 longshot, entered following a scratch and with a substitute rider aboard, won the $ 2 million Mile by a neck over Circus Maximus.
The Irish- bred colt entered the 15- horse field after One Master was scratched. Jockey Pierre- Charles Boudot was riding in place of Christophe Soumillon, who tested positive for COVID19 this week.