A Good Day for Silverbulletday

A 1-2 finish in the Santa Anita Derby on Saturday wasn’t the only good news for trainer Bob Baffert. Earlier, Silverbulletday won as expected in Kentucky, easily capturing the $544,000 Ashland at Keeneland.

With Gary Stevens staying in California to ride General Challenge to victory in the Santa Anita Derby, Jerry Bailey picked up the mount on the Silver Deputy filly and all he had to do was point her in the right direction.

Content to sit third early, the 3-10 favorite collared pacesetter Marley Vale, the 7-1 third choice, at the top of the stretch and cruised home by seven lengths in 1:41 3/5 for the 1 1/16 miles on a muddy track.

Owned by Mike Pegram, Silverbulletday has won nine of 10 races in her career, and the Ashland victory pushed her earnings to $1,750,130. She’ll probably make her next start in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on April 30.

*

First American, fifth in last month’s Florida Derby, earned himself a trip to the Kentucky Derby with a decisive victory in the $250,000 Flamingo Stakes at Hialeah. Ridden by Jose Velez Jr., the 3-1 second choice beat 9-1 shot Forty One Carats by a little more than three lengths in 1:48 4/5 for the 1 1/8 miles. Prime Directive, idle since winning his 3-year-old debut in the Count Fleet on Jan. 17, was sixth as the 9-10 favorite, and trainer Pat Byrne indicated the colt will not be pointed toward the Kentucky Derby.

Horse Racing Notes

Big Jag wrapped up the sprinter-of-the-meet title with his third stakes win of 1999 in the $194,200 Potrero Grande Breeders’ Cup Handicap Saturday at Santa Anita. The California-bred gelding has won eight of nine for owner Julius Zolezzi and trainer Tim Pinfield. The 4-5 favorite, ridden by Jose Valdivia Jr., covered the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15. . . . Behrens, the 3-2 favorite, rolled to a 2 1/2-length victory over Littlebitlively and five others in the $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap at Oaklawn Park. He covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47 3/5 on a sloppy track. Dr Fong, ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye for trainer Neil Drysdale, finished a distant fourth as the 2-1 second choice.