Baffert, Hoping For Three BC Wins, Got Two
Indian Blessing Good Second, Midshipman and Midnight Lute Winners
Nov 19, 2008
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile October 25 gave trainer Bob Baffert a big lift.
The day before, on "Filly Friday" on Santa Anita's Pro-Ride artificial surface, the trainer's speedy go-to star Indian Blessing lost to synthetic specialist Ventura. But on Saturday, the clouds parted as Baffert saddled two winners: Midshipman in the Juvenile and Midnight Lute in the Sprint.
While five-year-old Midnight Lute repeated off last year's championship in the Sprint, it was the Juvenile victory that spelled a look at the near future for Baffert. One of Thoroughbred racing's oldest stars himself, Baffert has another fellow worthy of Kentucky Derby mention in Midshipman.
Complete Order of Finish 2008 BC Juvenile
The complete order of finish of the 2008 BC Juvenile, along with the pedigrees and jockeys and the 2008 race records of the entrants prior to the Juvenile, follows:
- Midshipman ----- 3:2-1-0 ----- Unbridled's Song--Fleet Lady, by Avenue of Flags ----- G. Gomez
- Square Eddie ----- 5:2-1-1 ----- Smart Strike--Forty Gran, by El Gran Senor ----- R. Bejarano
- Street Hero ----- 5:1-2-2 ----- Street Cry (IRE)--Squall Linda, by Summer Squall ----- A. Solis
- Terrain ----- 4:3-1-0 ----- Sky Mesa--Minery, by Forty Niner ----- J. Theriot
- Pioneerof the Nile ----- 3:1-0-1 ----- Empire Maker-- Star of Goshen, by Lord At War (ARG) ----- R. Albarado
- West Side Bernie ----- 2:2-0-0 ----- Bernstein--Time Honored, by Gilded Time ----- S. Elliott
- Gallant Son ----- 5:4-0-0 ----- Malabar Gold--Explicitly, by Exploit ----- L. Mawing
- Silent Valor ----- 4:2-1-0 ----- Lion Heart--Few Choice Words, by Valid Appeal ----- E. Prado
- Azul Leon ----- 4:3-0-0 ----- Lion Heart--Quick Blue, by Cure the Blues ----- J. Rosario
- Munnings ----- 3:1-1-1 ----- Speightstown--La Comete, by Holy Bull ----- J. Velazquez
- Bushranger (IRE) ----- 6:4-1-1 ----- Danetime (IRE)--Danz Danz (GB), by Efisio (GB) ----- J. Murtagh
- Mine That Bird ----- 5:4-0-0 ----- Birdstone--Mining My Own, by Smart Strike ----- C. Sutherland
Pro-Ride to Ride or Not to Ride
Before Indian Blessing's trip in the Filly & Mare Sprint, the race that broke first from the 2008 BC World Championships gate on Friday, Baffert expressed anxiety to his charge's owner concerning the synthetic Pro-Ride, which Santa Anita switched to during the summer. Baffert wondered if the thick artificial surface would compromise the speed of the race and that of his entry, in particular.
The affects of synthetics on Thoroughbred racing is still being evaluated. Trainers and jockeys, however, will not dictate the final decisions about artificial surfaces. Economy drives the Thoroughbred racing industry just like it controls other businesses.
All-weather tracks make for bigger attendance at outdoor Thoroughbred facilities. Synthetics, already mandated for all major tracks in California, is the future of horseracing.
The good news for Baffert is that two of his three runners did well on Santa Anita's Pro-Ride surface.
BC Juvenile Winners Encounter Rough Waters to Derby
It was well documented in 2006 when Street Sense won the BC Juvenile that such victors historically don't win the Kentucky Derby in their three-year-old seasons. Street Sense did win the 2007 Derby, breaking a long-time jinx of Juvenile Champions losing at Churchill Downs.
Last year, a very fine looking War Pass suffered injury that ended his Derby quest.
Midshipman will carry the 2009 three-year-old flag into rough waters.
