THOROUGHBRED RACING : Baffert to Have Two in O’Brien; Thirty Slews Will Be Given Rest

The horse he hasn’t entered in Sunday’s $100,000 Pat O’Brien Handicap at Del Mar is the one trainer Bob Baffert hopes will win the $1-million Breeders’ Cup Sprint in October.

While Thirty Slews, winner of the Bing Crosby Handicap three weeks ago, remains in the barn, Baffert is entering two other speedsters, Gundaghia and Letthebighossroll, in the seven-furlong O’Brien. Gundaghia, a one-time $10,000 claimer who has earned $239,195, ran for the first time in eight months and barely missed winning an allowance race here on Aug. 1. Letthebighossroll, winless since November, returned from a five-month layoff and ran fourth, 6 1/4 lengths behind Thirty Slews, in the Crosby.

“We’ve probably got more (horses) to beat because we’re not running Thirty Slews,” Baffert said.

Thirteen are entered in the Pat O’Brien, including Bruho, who won the stake last year. Here is the lineup, in post-position order: Letthebighossroll, Asia, Gervazy, Anjiz, Slerp, Bruho, Dolly’s Fortune, Light Of Morn, Sir Beaufort, Three Peat, Run On The Bank, Gundaghia and Repriced.

“One of the reasons I’m not running Thirty Slews is because he needs more time between races,” Baffert said. “Another reason is that it’s not a graded stake and wouldn’t give us the chance to earn points to get us in the Breeders’ Cup. I’m giving him a freshening. We’ve got him back to where he’s right, and I don’t want to get crazy and run his wheels off. We’re on a mission to win the Breeders’ Cup, and I don’t want to do anything to hurt his chances.”

Baffert, 39, is a former quarter horse trainer, winning the equivalent of horse-of-the-year honors with Gold Coast Express in 1986. At the start of his thoroughbred career in 1988, Baffert used Gold Coast Express as his stable pony, but that lasted for only a month and now the horse is on a farm.

“He couldn’t handle being around the track and not being able to run,” Baffert said. “In the mornings, he’d see the starting gate and start to quiver.”

Baffert first saw Breeders’ Cup action last year at Churchill Downs, where Soviet Sojourn, winner of the Junior Miss and Sorrento Stakes here and second to La Spia in the Del Mar Debutante, was 11th in the Juvenile Fillies Stakes.

Thirty Slews’ next start probably will be in the Bay Meadows Budweiser Breeders’ Cup Stakes, a six-furlong race on Sept. 26. The Breeders’ Cup Sprint is to be run Oct. 31.

“The Bay Meadows race would give me enough time to get Thirty Slews to Florida early, so he could adjust down there,” Baffert said. “I’m glad they’re not going to run those races in New York (at Belmont Park). If they had, there’d be no medication, and this horse needs Lasix (a medication that curbs respiratory bleeding).”

Trainer Richard Cross is still undecided about whether Claret will be supplemented into the $1-million Pacific Classic on Aug. 30. In his first start on dirt, Claret, who had raced in Europe, ran second to Another Review after leading for the first mile of the 1 1/8-mile San Diego Handicap on Aug. 8.

Not nominated for the 1 1/4-mile Classic, Claret would have to be supplemented for $30,000. It would cost another $5,000 to enter him and another $10,000 for him to run.

The purse breakdown is $550,000 for the winner, with the next four finishers earning $200,000, $150,000, $75,000 and $25,000.

“We’re not thinking about finishing at least third and just making money off the race,” Cross said. “We’re wondering whether the horse is capable enough to win. He’s done well since his last race. He worked a good seven furlongs, in about 1:25 or 1:26, for Eddie Delahoussaye (Friday).”

Cross has until entry time Thursday to make up his mind. A large field is not expected; Paseana, Jolie’s Halo, Another Review, Defensive Play, Missionary Ridge and Reign Road are on the list of probable entrants.

Three weeks ago, Thunder Rumble was 24-1 when he won the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

He will probably be 5-1 or less as the third betting choice, behind Alydeed and Dixie Brass, in the $1-million Travers today.

Another challenger in the 10-horse field is the California shipper Bien Bien, the only starter who has won at the Travers distance of 1 1/4 miles. Running that far, Bien Bien beat a weak field in the Swaps at Hollywood Park in his last start.

Others entered are Tank’s Number, Hold Old Blue, Furiously, Devil His Due, Dance Floor and Lee n Otto.

Vieille Vigne, who hadn’t won since last year at Del Mar, outdueled Damewood in the stretch Friday to win by a neck in the Bayakoa Handicap. Exchange, the 3-5 favorite, made her first start since February and was never a factor, finishing third, two lengths behind Damewood. Vieille Vigne, who paid $21.40 to win, had not been better than third in eight starts since winning the Chula Vista Handicap on Sept. 1. The 5-year-old mare, trained by Jude Feld and ridden by Joe Steiner, also won the last year’s Bayakoa.

Horse Racing Notes

David Flores won the Eddie Read Handicap with Marquetry last Sunday, then sat out this week’s programs because of a five-day suspension by the Del Mar stewards. Flores will return Sunday, riding Bruho in the Pat O’Brien Handicap. He also has the assignment on Defensive Play in the Pacific Classic on Aug. 30. . . . Chris Antley is appealing a 10-day suspension by the Saratoga stewards, which will enable him to ride Dance Floor in the Travers. . . . Bill Shoemaker rode Fantastic Girl to victory in the 1979 Rancho Bernardo Handicap, one of his record 92 stakes victories at Del Mar. Shoemaker trains Glen Kate, who will try to win the Rancho Bernardo today. Shoemaker’s only training victory at Del Mar has come with Baldomero in the Osunitas Handicap in 1990. . . . Laffit Pincay, who has won the Rancho Bernardo eight times, including three of the last four, will ride D’Or Ruckus in today’s race. . . . Ibero, Jovial, Charmonnier and Star Recruit are among the 12 horses running Sunday in the $250,000 Longacres Mile. Del Mar will take bets on the telecast of the race.