Memorable Opening Day for Baffert, Santa Anita

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert first experienced the initial day of the Classic meet at Santa Anita Park in the early 1990s.

Yet in all that time, he never enjoyed an opening day on so many different levels as he did Dec. 26 at the picturesque Great Race Place.

"There's always a great vibe opening day at Santa Anita, but this year's vibe was something I haven't seen for years," Baffert said Dec. 28. "It was really special with all the fans and how they were excited and having such a good time. The energy level gave it the feel of a Breeders' Cup day. It was such a special day with great fields and people love to come out and see good horses. Santa Anita management did a great job and it was a huge day for California racing."

It was a spectacular day of racing that featured an electric crowd of 41,446 which wagered a record $26.3 million and was treated to three wins by the legendary European jockey Frankie Dettori as well as five wins for Baffert, two of them in grade 1 stakes.

"I just feel really blessed and I really appreciate the support from our clientele. It was by far my best opening day there. I'm usually lucky to have one winner. My crew, my team really stepped up," Baffert said. "Going in I knew we had some great chances, but I've always believed in what I learned from Charlie Whittingham and that was to expect the worst and hope for the best, otherwise you'll go crazy. We won the first race, then the second, and it snowballed from there."

The graded stakes were particularly satisfying for Baffert, who savored wins by Taiba  and Country Grammer  that bode well for their success in the major 2023 stakes for older horses plus a highly sentimental initial grade 1 victory by Fun to Dream , a 3-year-old filly that he bred and his wife, Jill, owns. 

At the very least, Zedan Racing Stables' Taiba made matters interesting for Eclipse Award voters as he tightened the race with Epicenter   for the 3-year-old male championship by closing out the year with his third grade 1 score by taking the Runhappy Malibu Stakes (G1), the same race that was won last year by Flightline  , who is certain to be crowned Horse of the Year. Taiba won by a convincing 4 1/4-length margin at a seven-furlong distance that brought the son of Gun Runner   back to the unfamiliar grounds of one-turn racing for the first time since his debut victory.

"We are so proud of him," Baffert said about the $1.7 million purchase from the Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds consignment at the 2021 Gulfstream Sale, Fasig-Tipton's Select 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. "He is pretty tough and we haven't gotten to the bottom of him yet. He's amazing. He's a real racehorse. Like his sire, Gun Runner, he's getting better and better."

Baffert said he is undecided about Taiba's next start, with the $3 million Jan. 28 Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and the $20 million Feb. 25 Saudi Cup (G1) as the leading options for the colt bred by Bruce Ryan.

The 69-year-old Baffert also has a Pegasus candidate in grade 1 winner Defunded .

Commonwealth Thoroughbreds, WinStar Farm, and Zedan Racing Stables' Country Grammer punched his ticket for a return trip to the Middle East with an impressive 4 1/2-length score in the San Antonio Stakes (G2) with Dettori aboard. The son of Tonalist   will be pointed to the Saudi Cup, a one-turn 1 1/8-mile stakes in which he finished second earlier this year. If all goes well, then he will move on to the $12 million March 25 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1), a 1 1/4-mile test he captured nine months ago.

"Country Grammer likes the deep tracks (in Saudi Arabia and Dubai)," Baffert said.

Monday's victory was the first for the $11.27 million earner since the Dubai World Cup, snapping  a string of second-place finishes in the San Diego Handicap (G2), TVG Pacific Classic Stakes (G1), and Awesome Again Stakes (G1).

"He's a horse that lifted us up at times when we were down and he means so much to us," Baffert said. "He's been training better and to have Frankie Dettori on him made it even more special."

Fun to Dream's victory in the La Brea Stakes (G1)—Baffert's ninth win in the seven-furlong stakes for 3-year-old fillies—was the most emotional of the quintet for Baffert, who bred the 3-year-old filly along with Connie Pageler, who owns her in a partnership with Baffert's wife, Jill.

Baffert has trained a legion of champions and classic winners in his career, often receiving a breeding share as a bonus when that horse becomes a stallion. Sometimes he might sell the share and on some occasions, he'll find a mare to mate with his former star. In this instance, Baffert claimed Lutess, a daughter of Maria's Mon, for $8,000 and bred her to Arrogate , his 2016 3-year-old champion and $17.4 million earner. The result was the California-bred Fun to Dream, who has now won 5 of 6 starts and will target the Beholder Mile (G1) in the spring.

"It was so emotional for Jill because of all we have been through. You work so hard and then you have a moment like that and it makes you forget about all the other stuff," said Baffert, who also bred Misremembered , winner of the 2010 Santa Anita Handicap (G1). "I'm like everyone else. I like to dream and that's how the filly got her name. It's fun to dream that you might get the next California Chrome  . I've been studying breeding and I'm trying to figure it out. There's nothing magical to it. You just have to breed to the best horse you can and hope you can improve the mare."

Baffert's deep and talented barn also unveiled a highly promising 2-year-old colt in Michael Lund Petersen's Faustin , who rallied from fifth to capture his debut by 2 3/4 lengths and figures to be an interesting Triple Crown prospect in the months ahead.

"I didn't think he was a win-first-time-out kind. It took some time for him to come around, like Taiba was," Baffert said. "He finally figured it out and in the race he took a lot of dirt, it didn't bother him, and he still came running like a good horse. He's not bred to do that and so when you see him do that it's exciting."

A son of Curlin   out of the million-dollar earner Hard Not to Like , Faustin was bought for $800,000 from the De Meric Sales consignment at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

As with most of his 2-year-olds at this time of year, Baffert was uncertain of what's next for the gray colt bred by DATTT Farm.

"We'll watch him and see how he develops," said Baffert, who is ineligible to enter horses in the 2023 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) but can compete in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1). "It's unfortunate there's a shortage of young horses out here and allowance races for them, but there will be something for him. What we do is nominate everywhere and whoever is looking the best that week will run."

Baffert's other winner on opening day was Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Westerberg's Bletchley Park , a 3-year-old son of Nyquist   who posted a victory in his fifth start by a neck over the Baffert-trained Purified  in a maiden race.