Roman Rosso an Unknown Commodity in Pacific Classic

There are plenty of South American horses on the Southern California racing circuit, but a runner from the opposite hemisphere is a rarity for trainer Bob Baffert.

When asked if he could remember the last good one he got from the southern continent, it didn't take long for the Hall of Fame trainer to come up with the answer, even if the horse hadn't been in his barn in nearly 20 years.

"I think it was Joe Who, right?" Baffert said, quickly thinking of the 1999 Eddie Read Handicap (G1T) winner. "I remember him well, because that was the year I won every grade 1 at Del Mar."

The question was asked because one of two Baffert entries in the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic (G1) Aug. 18 at Del Mar is Zaur Bifov's Argentine-bred Roman Rosso, who came to the Baffert barn riding three straight group 1 victories in South America, including a last-out score in the March 11 Longines Gran Premio Latinoamericano (G1) at Hipódromo Nacional de Maroñas in Uruguay.

HAMMONDS: Roman Rosso Scores in Latinoamericano

The consensus from trainers in California is that South American imports—because of travel, quarantine time, and getting comfortable with a different environment—often take time to acclimate. Joe Who, a Brazilian-bred who won five group races in his native country (including two group 1 races) before he came to the U.S., needed five starts to break through for his first stateside victory in the 1998 Wickerr Handicap and didn't win his first graded stakes until the 1999 Firecracker Breeders' Cup Handicap (G3T) at Churchill Downs, his 14th start for Baffert.

"(Roman Rosso) came to us a few months ago. His owner is from Russia, and he just came off a big race down there. He got here a little light, and the trip was kinda hard on him," Baffert said. "It takes them about a year to get really good. So for (Roman Rosso), in time he's just going to get better and better."

So why run in a grade 1 for his first U.S. start? In part it's because Baffert didn't see a superstar in the Pacific Classic field, and a million-dollar purse for a race that might be light on star power seemed like a better option than waiting to run the 4-year-old Roman Ruler colt in the $75,000 Harry F. Brubaker Stakes Aug. 22 at Del Mar.

"We're rushing a little bit with him, because it takes them a little bit of time to get acclimated, but every week he gets stronger and stronger," the trainer said. "But he's doing well. That's why he's running."

Baffert called Roman Rosso "sort of lazy" during training, and his last workout at Del Mar came under jockey Flavien Prat, who will ride the chestnut in the Pacific Classic.

"I thought it was a good work," Prat said of the seven-furlong drill in 1:26 flat. "He got tired, but that was the goal. It was a good breeze. Obviously, he has a good record from South America, but we'll see how he does here."

Prat was also happy with the speed Roman Rosso showed during training, which he felt separated the colt from other horses he's ridden from South America. Baffert said he also expects Roman Rosso to be forwardly placed in the 1 1/4-mile test Saturday.

"Sometimes (South American horses) run at longer distances, and there aren't many races that long here, but the other day he showed me something," Prat said. "He has more speed than others."

If all goes well, the long-term target for Roman Rosso, according to Baffert, is the 2019 Dubai World Cup (G1), but just how well he'll perform in Del Mar's signature race is still a mystery to his connections.

"To be honest, I don't have any idea (how well he'll run)," Prat said. "But he's trained well and he's ready to run. He's trained by Baffert, so he's going to be ready. We'll know more after the race than we know before."