'Door Open' for Baffert's Breeders' Cup Lineup to Grow

After a successful opening weekend at Santa Anita Park, Bob Baffert is keeping his Breeders' Cup options open. He said his runners from Oct. 1-3 came out of their races in good order and now it's a matter of continued good health and good luck in advance of the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar on Nov. 5-6.

The Breeders' Cup board announced Sept. 18 that it had begun a review process to determine whether Baffert, who is currently tied up in legal proceedings over Medina Spirit's positive for betamethasone in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), will be permitted to enter starters in the year-end event. An update as to the status of that review has not yet been issued.

"Medina (Spirit) and Corniche  came back really well," said Baffert, who with 17 Breeders' Cup victories ranks second only to fellow Hall of Fame member D. Wayne Lukas with 20 for the all-time record.

Zedan Racing Stables' Medina Spirit  won the Awesome Again Stakes, while Speedway Stable's Corniche took the American Pharoah Stakes (G1). With those races part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series, both horses earned automatic entry in the Breeder's Cup. Medina Spirit goes in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), Corniche in the TVG Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1).

"Actually, all my horses came out well," Baffert added. "I was disappointed in my fillies (Censorship  and Grace Adler , a distant fourth and fifth in the Chandelier Stakes(G2)). I'm going to work them back and see where we are. Everybody ran well except for the fillies.

"Private Mission  (a 2 1/4-length winner of the Zenyatta Stakes (G2) over stablemate As Time Goes By ) definitely goes on to the Breeders' Cup. As Time Goes By, we don't know yet.

"Eight Rings (possible for the Dirt Mile) ran a big race (winning a 1 1/16-mile allowance race), but right now we're keeping our options open with nothing set in stone except the 'Win and You're In' horses are definitely going.

"Corniche is going, as well as (Runhappy Del Mar Futurity (G1) winner) Pinehurst . Rockefeller  (fourth by seven lengths to Corniche), he got tired.

"Being as the Breeders' Cup is close (to his home base of Santa Anita), it gives me the advantage of coming back and working some horses to see how they do before shipping. I'm leaving the door open for those horses since we still have a little bit of time before the pre-entries and all that."

At this early stage, morning-line maker Jon White projects Medina Spirit as the fourth favorite among early prospects for the 1 1/4-mile Breeders' Cup Classic. 

"At this point, I expect Knicks Go  to be sent off as the Classic favorite," said White in his weekly XpressBet.com column.  "But I also think it's a pretty close call between Knicks Go and Essential Quality ."  

White, who will be making the morning line for his seventh Breeders' Cup, lists the following 12 horses as his top Classic prospects: Knicks Go (5-2), Essential Quality (3-1), Hot Rod Charlie  (5-1), Medina Spirit (6-1), Art Collector  (10-1), Max Player  (10-1), Maxfield  (12-1), Tripoli  (15-1), Dr Post  (20-1), Happy Saver  (20-1), Idol  (30-1) and Stilleto Boy  (30-1).