A Close Loss for Batoile, Baffert

It was just a restricted stakes, but the finish of the $78,280 La Puente Stakes had to bring back an unpleasant memory for trainer Bob Baffert and owners Robert and Barbara Walter.

They thought they may have won the Kentucky Derby a year ago with Cavonnier, but the photo showed Grindstone the winner by a nose; Sunday, Baffert, at least, thought Batoile had won the La Puente by a whisker at Santa Anita.

However, the camera showed otherwise and even-money favorite Wild Rush got the money in his turf debut, beating Batoile, the 9-2 third choice, by a nose in 1:34 4/5 for the mile on turf.

Racing with Lasix for the first time after bleeding in the San Rafael in his California debut on March 2, Wild Rush won for the third time in four starts for owner Frank Stronach.

“I wasn’t really sure that we had won,” said jockey Gary Stevens of the winner. “It was very close. My horse got in front about 50 yards from the wire and started easing up a little bit. [Batoile] was game. He was bearing back down. I thought his head was down at the wire and mine was up. I just wasn’t sure. I got lucky.”

David Flores, who rode Batoile, was in agreement with the gelding’s trainer.

“I thought I was a winner,” he said. “Even by the wire, I felt like I won it. But what can I do? I rode this horse to win. I hit him left-handed and he came back for me. [Wild Rush] . . . just got lucky in the last jump and got the bob.”

Worldly Ways, the 19-10 second choice, was third, nearly two lengths behind Batoile after encountering some self-caused trouble. Starbank, pacesetter Excelent Boy and Jolly Sixpence completed the order of finish. Greed Is Good and Without Doubt were scratched.

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Marlin, who won the San Luis Rey Stakes last month when returned to the grass, heads the list of seven probables for Sunday’s $400,000 San Juan Capistrano Invitational at Santa Anita.

Hoping to provide trainer Wayne Lukas with his first victory in the track’s longest race--the Capistrano is run at about 1 3/4 miles on the grass--Marlin is the highweight at 119 pounds among the likely participants. He will again be ridden by Chris McCarron, who was aboard for the first time in the San Luis Rey triumph.

Awad, the only horse who ran in last year’s Capistrano that will be back on Sunday, will try to improve on his third-place finish behind Raintrap and Windsharp. He will ship to California on Thursday from New York.

“I think he’s better this year going into the race than he was last year,” said trainer David Donk. “He’s been able to run much closer to the pace than in the last. (On Sunday), I’d like to see a good pace in this race, be able to back off it and then make our move.” Pat Day will be in to ride Awad, who won the Arlington Million in 1995.

Others who are scheduled to run are Sunshack, Bon Point, Poliglote, Shanawi and African Dancer.

Horse Racing Notes

Jockey Corey Nakatani won three times Sunday and Octavio Vergara twice. . . . Gentlemen, who could run in the Mervyn LeRoy on May 3 at Hollywood Park before heading to Suffolk Downs for the Massachusetts Handicap four weeks later, worked seven furlongs in 1:26 4/5 Sunday morning at Hollywood Park.