The road to the Kentucky Derby always seems to go through Bob Baffert, but rarely after a race like this. But first, there is the added issue that the hall of fame trainer is not eligible to run in the Derby.
On Saturday at Santa Anita, Baffert finished first, second, third and fourth in the eight-horse Grade 1 $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes as Cave Rock won his third consecutive lifetime race in winning the Derby prep by 5 1/4 lengths. It was a dominating performance and gave the horse an automatic bid in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland on Nov. 4.
Cave Rock immediately went to the front in the 1 1/16-mile race and cruised around the backstretch with a slight lead heading into the home stretch. Jockey Juan Hernandez used the whip once in the early stretch and then hand-rode him easily to the finish line. Hernandez has ridden him in all three of his races, including a 5 1/4-length win in the Del Mar Futurity four weeks ago.
"I can't remember running one, two, three, four, ever," Baffert said. "The really good ones come around quickly and he's always been different. He's built different than [his sire] Arrogate. He's powerful, stronger and he's quick. ... He just keeps improving."
Cave Rock paid $2.80, $2.20 and $2.10. National Treasure was second followed by Hejazi, Gandolfini, Man Child, Skimmer, Macnamara and Odonata.
"At first, he was kind of looking around a little bit around the turn, when he got the lead," Hernandez said. "He was all game and after that, he started improving his pace and he just kept going."
Baffert's presence in the Kentucky Derby is under a molasses-like journey through the courts in Kentucky after Medina Spirit, who initially won the Derby last year before being disqualified, tested positive for a legal medication, but not legal on race day.
Churchill Downs, where the Derby is run, in an unprecedented move, ruled Baffert off its tracks for two years. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission suspended Baffert for 90 days, which he has already served. Baffert continues to fight for Medina Spirit's win to be restored, along with his banishment from Churchill Downs.
If Cave Rock, or any of his other standouts, seems to be Kentucky Derby ready, Baffert will likely transfer them to another trainer, unless litigation changes his status. This year, his two top Derby prospects were transferred to Tim Yakteen, who was once Baffert's assistant.
Because Baffert was ineligible to receive any Kentucky Derby qualifying points from Saturday's race, only one of the 20 points was awarded, to Man Child, for his fifth-place finish.
But there is a long way to go between now and the first Saturday in May and 2-year-olds rarely are make-or-break if a horse is to be a serious Kentucky Derby contender.
Also on Saturday's card was the Grade 2 $200,000 Chandelier Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, a qualifier for the Kentucky Oaks and a win-and-you're-in race for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. And Tell Me Nolies rallied three-wide coming into the stretch to win the 1 1/16-mile race by three-quarters of a length. The Peter Miller trainee, ridden by Ramon Vasquez, paid $18.80 to win. Uncontrollable was second and Justique was third. Like Cave Rock, And Tell Me Nolies was sired by Arrogate, who was once trained by Baffert.
There was another Grade 1 Breeders' Cup qualifier on Saturday's card, the Rodeo Drive for Filly & Mare Turf runners. Going to Vegas went gate-to-wire to win by 1 1/4 lengths over Family Way. Going to Vegas, trained by Phil D'Amato and ridden by Umberto Rispoli, paid $7.20 to win the 1 1/4-mile race.
