Future Plans for Classic Hero Authentic Still Uncertain

The morning after trainer Bob Baffert won the Nov. 7 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) with Authentic  , finished second with Improbable  , and took fifth with Maximum Security  , the Hall of Famer was saying farewell to the latter two of his classic runners as they prepared for a stud career in 2021 but was still unsure whether Authentic would return to his stable next year or also head to the breeding shed. 

Baffert declined to lobby for Spendthrift Farm, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables, and Starlight Racing's Authentic as Horse of the Year but said the son of Into Mischief   belongs in the conversation. In addition to the Classic, Authentic won the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1), and he was a close second in the Preakness Stakes (G1).

"I think the way he ran in the Derby, he vindicated himself after his beat—but he still ran a great race—in the Preakness," Baffert said. "He's just getting better, he's maturing. I could just tell with the way he was training that he has caught up with these older horses. He's just so quick. He's fast. (Jockey) Johnny (Velazquez) said he felt better than he ever has and he had trouble pulling him up. He came back like it was nothing. He's a great horse. He's filling out."

Improbable and Maximum Security made their final starts Saturday and headed into retirement: Improbable to WinStar Farm and Maximum Security to Ashford Stud. 

Baffert said Gary and Mary West, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith's Maximum Security had been unable to regain the top form that made him a four-time grade 1 winner but said that WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, and SF Racing's Improbable had turned in a terrific performance. 

"I was proud of the way they ran," Baffert said. "They were training well. Down deep I knew I was going to win it with one of them. I wasn't sure (which one), when you come in loaded like that. It would have been nice to run 1-2-3 and it would have been horrible not to win with the three. I was thinking about that all the time." 

Improbable was the favored of the three, having won three consecutive grade 1s before the Classic, including the Awesome Again Stakes (G1) over Maximum Security.

"That Authentic is serious. He's a great horse," Baffert said. "What he did yesterday—that was a great field—and he just ran away from that field. Improbable is a really good horse. Turning for home, I thought that Improbable was going to kick in there, and then Authentic caught another gear and he was gone." 

Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law  , a well-beaten sixth in the Classic, was fine Sunday morning, trainer Barclay Tagg said.

Sackatoga's operating manager, Jack Knowlton, added that Tiz the Law will be shipped to Tagg's barn at the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida on Wednesday. The goal is to have him ready for the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park.

Sent off as the 3-1 favorite in the Classic, Tiz the Law was stuck on the inside under jockey Manny Franco and never mounted a serious challenge to Authentic. 

"(Franco) said he was rank on him," Tagg said before leaving for Florida early Sunday morning. "The winner was rank and he should have just followed him around. I had him ready to run, but I can't ride for them." 

Tiz the Law's connections recognized that having to start close to the rail might present a problem for the New York-bred son of Constitution  . The Classic was the first time Tiz the Law did not finish in the top three. 

"Obviously, we were disappointed and kind of shocked that he didn't end up better than he did," Knowlton said. "An inside trip was a concern. There were a lot of people when they saw the draw automatically said, 'That's a problem for this horse.' When you are in the 2 hole, it's awful hard to put yourself in a place where you can get outside of horses. Maybe that's the story. I don't think being on the rail was the ideal place."

Bill Mott said Juddmonte Farms homebred Tacitus  acquitted himself in admirable fashion to finish fourth. The Hall of Fame trainer said the door is open for Tacitus to race next year as a 5-year-old.

"I don't know why you wouldn't. What else would you do with him? He's only 4," Mott said. "There is no reason he couldn't improve. We keep saying that about him. But he ran a creditable race yesterday. It wasn't bad." 

Monomoy Girl to Fasig-Tipton

Two-time Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) winner Monomoy Girl  left trainer Brad Cox's Keeneland barn shortly after 6 a.m. ET and made the 15-minute drive across town to Fasig-Tipton, where she is scheduled to sell Sunday in The November Sale.

Monomoy improved her 2020 record to 4-for-4 with her Distaff victory, which was made even more remarkable by the fact she missed all of 2019 because of various minor ailments. In 2018, she capped a championship season that included the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) and her first Distaff win. 

"To be honest, it was a relief when she won," Cox said. "I don't why, but there's just a lot of pressure with her, but she's never let us down." 

When asked whether Monomoy Girl should be considered for Horse of the Year, Cox said yes. 

"She's done nothing wrong," Cox said. "There's obviously some very good horses out there that have accomplished a lot this year and yesterday. Ultimately, that's up to the voters. Who knows, maybe, depending on who buys her, you could see her again this year and maybe even next. I don't know where. I'll know a lot more later tonight. It will be exciting. It's like we've been through two days of Breeders' Cup, and now we have to go through (the sale) with her.

"She looked great out of the race. I'm telling you, she really looked amazing. I really have no clue what is going to happen (at the sales.)"

Monomoy Girl topped the sale later Sunday, selling to Spendthrift Farm for $9.5 million. She'll be back in training with Cox next year.