Baffert: Debate Distracts From Bayern's Win

Kaleen Shah's Bayern came out of his controversial win in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) in good order, trainer Bob Baffert said Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park.

Bayern delivered Baffert his 11th Breeders' Cup victory and his first in the Classic in 13 tries dating back to 1998, but his elation over capturing the race has been tempered by reaction to the victory. The controversy was ignited after Bayern broke inwardly at the start and banged into previously unbeaten Shared Belief, starting a chain reaction that prompted a stewards' inquiry that ultimately upheld his win.

"I have never seen so much animosity over a horse race," Baffert said. "It seems like people forgot how to watch a race."

"If the stewards had not posted the inquiry, there would not have been one. Mike Smith (who rode Shared Belief) wasn't going to (claim foul). He said all the trouble happened a little later when the 9 (Toast of New York) came over and by that time, my horse was already gone."

Under Martin Garcia, Bayern led all the way to prevail by a nose over Toast of New York, with dual classic winner California Chrome another neck back. Bayern completed the 1 1/4-mile race in 1:59.88. Shared Belief, the 5-2 favorite, was unable to overcome his early problems and finished 3 1/2 lengths farther back in fourth, suffering his first loss in eight lifetime starts.

"The sad part about all of this is that it distracts from what he did yesterday," Baffert said of Bayern "It's not like he is a fluke. He can do it all and he's a fighter. You could tell he was not going to let that other horse (Toast of New York) by."

Saturday's events were all part of racing to Baffert.

"You just have to have racing luck," Baffert said. "Game On Dude never got a trip (in the past two Classics) like Bayern got yesterday. I wish he had gotten them. You are not going to win without racing luck.

"At the Preakness (gr. I), Ria Antonia got us right out of the gate, but I didn't cry about it. That's just racing."

The ninth-place finish in the Preakness and a 10th-place showing in the Travers (gr. I) are the only off-the board finishes for Bayern, who did not debut until Jan. 4 this year.

"After he won the Haskell (gr. I), when he got back to Del Mar he missed five days of training and I probably shouldn't have gone to Saratoga (Travers)," Baffert said.

"When he is right, he is poison out of the gate. He's like a Quarter Horse. He's brilliant; he's so fast. He can win going six (furlongs), seven, a mile, a mile and a quarter."

Trainer Art Sherman said Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and Preakness winner California Chrome pulled up good after the race.

Sherman was speaking by telephone from his Los Alamitos base Sunday after shipping the colt back from Santa Anita Saturday night.

"It was a great race for him, and a game race to get beat by a neck," added Sherman. "Maybe with a stronger race the one before (Pennsylvania Derby, gr. II) he might have won, but I don't know."

Sherman said future plans for the California-bred colt had not yet been formulated.

"I'll have to talk to the owners," said Sherman of Steve Coburn and Perry Martin.

As for Eclipse Award honors for champion 3-year-old male and Horse of the Year, Sherman thought the controversial finish left the outcome unclear.

"It's up in the air now," he said.

Regardless of the outcome, the 77-year-old trainer could not imagine a more memorable year. "It's been a great run," he said. "He's done everything we wanted...$4 million...It's been a great year."

Jerry Hollendorfer on Sunday described Shared Belief as "OK"

"I don't have any plans. He will go back to Golden Gate Fields. He needs to be freshened up a bit."

Dan Ward, Hollendorfer's chief assistant, went into other details. Like Hollendorfer, he chose not to comment about the controversy surrounding an early bumping incident in which Shared Belief was adversely affected. Stewards ruled no change following an inquiry.

"We want to make sure he's OK," said Ward. "He will walk and rest for a couple of days before shipping back to Golden Gate."

Ward also agreed that 3-year-old and Horse of the Year honors were left a puzzle after the Classic.

"All the 3-year-olds ran good," he said, noting the unprecedented 1-2-3-4-5-6 finish by sophomores in the race.