Baffert Bats .500 for the Day, but Heavy Hitters Strike Out

Sunday’s bottom line for trainer Bob Baffert’s portable racing stable was two for him and two for the other guys. The interesting thing is that the other guys won the races Baffert was supposed to have won.

“The B squad did better than the A squad,” Baffert said. He won the $1-million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park with River Keen, a 12-1 shot, and he won the $442,000 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland with Captain Steve, supposedly not the best 2-year-old colt in the barn.

But at Santa Anita, the odds-on Forest Camp, who had beaten stablemate Captain Steve at Del Mar, was upset by Dixie Union in the $200,000 Norfolk; and in New York, Silverbulletday, at 9-10, ran second to Beautiful Pleasure in the $500,000 Beldame Stakes.

River Keen, claimed for $100,000 off trainer Bob Hess Jr. last December at the urging of Baffert client Hugo Reynolds, thrust himself into a totally confusing horse-of-the-year picture by beating Behrens, the 4-5 favorite, by 3 1/4 lengths in the Belmont slop. Baffert remained at Santa Anita, thus continuing a year-long anomaly: Since the Hollywood Park claim, he has not been present for any of River Keen’s three wins.

The 3-year-old Silverbulletday ran herself out of contention, losing by 4 3/4 lengths in her first start against older fillies and mares.

River Keen must win the $4-million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 6 at Gulfstream Park to lock up the national title.

The outcome of the one-mile Norfolk--Dixie Union outfinishing Forest Camp for a half-length win--left the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with no compelling favorite. Dixie Union’s three-race undefeated string was snapped by Forest Camp’s 5 1/2-length win in the Del Mar Futurity.

In the Norfolk, Forest Camp, winner of two previous starts, did too much too soon and Alex Solis, who stalked Baffert’s colt with Dixie Union, had the horse with the best finishing kick.

“[Forest Camp] ran a freak race at Del Mar,” said Richard Mandella, who trains Dixie Union for Herman Sarkowsky and Gerald Ford. “He may have run the race of a lifetime. In this race, Alex sensed that [Forest Camp] might be getting away from us, and he put some pressure on him early.”

Dixie Union, timed in 1:35 3/5, paid $10.40. Anees finished third in the six-horse field.

“Captain Steve’s win shows how strong the Del Mar Futurity was,” Baffert said.

Captain Steve, paying $5.80, won on a sloppy track at Keeneland, beatng Graeme Hall by three lengths under Garrett Gomez, with Millencolin, the 9-5 favorite, running third. On hand in the winner’s circle was the real Captain Steve, Louisville police detective Steve Thompson, who helped Mike Pegram, the Baffert client who also races Real Quiet and Silverbulletday, out of a jam at the Louisville airport in 1997.

Charges against Pegram were dismissed after he went through a security checkpoint in possession of a firearm. Pegram, according to Thompson, said he didn’t know about the gun, that it was in a gift box that had been given to him following the Kentucky Derby. Pegram, in New York to watch Silverbulletday run, couldn’t be reached, but Baffert confirmed the story. “That’s not one of Mike’s proudest memories,” Baffert said.

For the favor, Pegram named his Fly So Free colt, Sunday’s Keeneland winner, after Thompson.

Horse Racing Notes

Chris Antley rode River Keen. After Behrens, the order of finish was Almutawakel, Stephen Got Even, Lemon Drop Kid, Catienus, Jack Grandi and Back Ring Al. . . . Surfside, trained by Wayne Lukas and ridden by Pat Day, beat Darling My Darling by a head to win Belmont’s $400,000 Frizette Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.