Authentic, Azul Coast Head Derby Prospects in Sham
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Authentic wins on debut at Del Mar
With leading California-based 3-year-olds Storm the Court, Thousand Words, and Anneau d'Or sitting out the $100,000 Sham Stakes (G3) Jan. 4 at Santa Anita Park, the race lacks proven Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) prospects, though not potential.
Five of the six entrants are last-out maiden winners, including the Bob Baffert-trained duo of Authentic and Azul Coast, who both scored at first asking. Another pair who prevailed in their second starts for trainer Richard Baltas are Uncaptured Hero and Taishan.
Baffert, a five-time Kentucky Derby and two-time Triple Crown winner whose stable is again loaded with young talent, has the 8-5 morning-line favorite in Authentic, an Into Mischief colt who won a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race Nov. 9 in 1:03.60 at Del Mar.
Although the race was well rated, resulting in a 97 Equibase Speed Figure, none of the five competitors he defeated have won since. Three finished out of the money, and two others were third.
Video: Race 5 (MSW) at DMR on 11/9/19
Out of the talented but lightly raced Mr. Greeley mare Flawless, who won her debut by 13 1/4 lengths at seven furlongs before placing second in a mile allowance in her only two starts, Authentic is related to two other winners: Expectations (by Speightstown ) and Gitgo (by Bodemeister). The former won once at a mile and twice at seven furlongs—all in maiden claiming or claiming races—and the latter scored once in a maiden claiming race at 5 1/2 furlongs.
Contested over a two-turn mile, the Sham will be the first test of Authentic's stamina.
Drawn inside, he faces potential early pressure from Uncaptured Hero and Scoring, whose lone start resulted in a win at 4 1/2 furlongs in June via disqualification.
Authentic is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Frederick Hertrich III, John Fielding, and Golconda Stables—the group that teamed with Baffert to win the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) with Eight Rings in the fall.
Azul Coast and Taishan are already winners at a mile. Azul Coast won Dec. 8 by four lengths on a wet track rated good at Los Alamitos despite a six-wide trip, and Taishan was a one-length winner Nov. 3 at Santa Anita, earning a 99 Equibase Speed Figure.
Preparing Azul Coast for the Sham, Baffert worked him with multiple grade 1-winning filly Bast, breezing five furlongs in 1:00 1/5 Dec. 29 at Santa Anita. The Super Saver colt finished a neck behind her at the finish before inching past on the gallop-out. Baffert, a five-time Sham winner, has taken three of the past six editions of the race: with Midnight Hawk in 2014, Collected in 2016, and McKinzie in 2018.
Joel Rosario will ride Azul Coast, replacing Van Dyke, who stays aboard Authentic.
Video: Race 3 (MSW) at LRC on 12/8/19
Baltas has a positive outlook for Taishan, encouraged by what he has seen from him under regular rider Aaron Gryder.
"I'm not concerned that Taishan is stepping up," Baltas said of the son of Twirling Candy owned by Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran. "It was his first time going long, and he won and got a good number.
"He's trained really well since then, he's had a bunch of time between races, and I think he'll give a good account of himself."
Video: Race 6 (MSW) at SA on 11/3/19
Completing the field is Zimba Warrior, the only horse with stakes experience. He was third in both the Sunny Slope Stakes and Bob Hope Stakes (G3).
The Sham is the first qualifying race of the new year in California on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, offering points on a 10-4-2-1 basis to the top four finishers.
The Sham's past two winners, Gunmetal Gray (2019) and McKinzie, failed to make the Kentucky Derby because of setbacks. Gormley was the last Sham winner to start in the Derby, finishing ninth in 2017 for trainer John Shirreffs after winning the Santa Anita Derby (G1) in his final Derby prep.
This year's race lost a key participant when promising Shirreffs trainee Honor A. P. was not entered because of injury.
"He galloped well, then when he came back from his schooling, he was off in his right front," Shirreffs said this week. "X-rays were OK, so we'll just have to wait and see."
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, January 04, 2020, Race 5Entries: Sham S. (G3)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Authentic (KY)
Drayden Van Dyke
120
Bob Baffert
8/5
2
2Zimba Warrior (FL)
Jose Valdivia, Jr.
120
J. Keith Desormeaux
6/1
3
3Uncaptured Hero (FL)
Flavien Prat
120
Richard Baltas
6/1
4
4Azul Coast (KY)
Joel Rosario
120
Bob Baffert
5/2
5
5Scoring (KY)
Abel Cedillo
120
Doug F. O'Neill
15/1
6
6Taishan (KY)
Aaron T. Gryder
120
Richard Baltas
5/2
