Baffert Preparing to Restock for Fall

[Wandering Eyes]

Retired Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy) will leave Bob Baffert’s barn Wednesday and travel to WinStar Farm in Kentucky, which will be his home for, at least, the next few months. But though Baffert will be saying goodbye to one of the best horses he has ever trained, his barn appears ready to have a big fall and be well represented in the Breeders’ Cup.

“We have some big shoes to fill come Wednesday,” Baffert said. “Somebody better step up. I’m going to miss him. He’s a beautiful horse.”

Though none may be as talented as Justify, Baffert has at least three horses who might come around in time for the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic. He said that McKinzie (Street Sense), West Coast (Flatter) and Collected (City Zip) will all resume serious training within the next few weeks.

McKinzie was once considered Baffert’s best 3-year-old male, but was sidelined in March with a hock injury and has not run since crossing the wire first in the March 10 GII San Felipe S. He was disqualified and placed second. Baffert added that he hasn’t exactly enjoyed watching other stables winning races like the GII Jim Dandy and the GI Haskell Invitational while he hasn’t had a horse available for those races.

“McKinzie is doing really well and I’d say he’s closer to making the races than West Coast or Collected,” he said. “He’s coming around really quick. I wish he were ready right now. It’s killing me watching these 3-year-old races without having a horse in them. Good Magic (Curlin) and what he did in the Haskell should make everyone appreciate what a super horse Justify was. Good Magic is showing everybody what a good horse he is. He was just born in the wrong year.”

West Coast  has not run since finishing second in the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 31. Collected was last seen finishing seventh in the GI Pegasus World in January. Baffert said he had not picked a comeback race for any of the three.

“I’m just going to play it by ear,” he said.

Baffert can also look forward to the Breeders’ Cup juvenile races as he’s already had three impressive wins with 2-year-olds at the Del Mar meet.

The most noteworthy came Saturday when homebred Chasing Yesterday (Tapit), a half-sister to American Pharoah (Pioneerofthe Nile) won a 5 1/2-furlong maiden by 4 1/4 lengths with Mike Smith aboard as the 3-10 favorite and was tabbed a ‘TDN Rising Star’. Six days earlier, Baffert won another 2-year-old filly race with Mother Mother (Pioneerof the Nile), a 6 1/2-length winner and was also named a ‘TDN Rising Star.’ She was a $450,000 purchase at Keeneland September. He said only one of the two would go next in the GI Del Mar Debutante.

On Sunday, Baffert unveiled his best 2-year-old colt to date as ‘TDN Rising Star’ Roadster (Quality Road) scored a 4 1/4-length win under Smith. He was a $525,000 Keeneland September purchase.

“We thought she was a good one and she proved she’s a good one,” Baffert said of Chasing Yesterday. “We’re taking our time with her. I don’t know what we are going to do with her yet.

I’m excited about all three of these 2-year-olds. Chasing Yesterday worked like a superstar and ran like one. So did mother Mother Mother and Roadster. They all worked liked superstars and ran to their works. Lot of times you’ll have horses that work great and they don’t follow up in the afternoon. These ones all did.”

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