Officer Gets Back on Case at Hollywood Park

Rather than wait for a softer spot in the $150,000 California Breeders’ Champion Stakes on Dec. 28 at Santa Anita, Officer will try to end his two-race losing streak in the $200,000 Hollywood Futurity on Saturday at Hollywood Park.

His reputation tarnished by defeats in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and California Cup Juvenile, the 2-year-old son of Bertrando will be one of two entrants in the Grade I for trainer Bob Baffert. The leading trainer at the meet, which concludes Monday, also will send out Mountain Rage, the winner of last month’s Generous Stakes on the turf.

A week after finishing fifth as the 7-10 favorite in the Breeders’ Cup, Officer, who is owned by Prince Ahmed Salman’s Thoroughbred Corp., was second at 2-5 in the California Cup, missing by a half-length to Yougottawanna, who also will be a participant in the Futurity.

Taken well off the pace by jockey Gary Stevens, the $700,000 purchase got the lead in the stretch, but Yougottawanna rallied and was going away at the finish.

With Stevens riding in Hong Kong this week, David Flores will be aboard Officer for the first time in the Futurity, which is run at 11/16 miles.

“He looks good and we’ll find out Saturday about the distance,” said Baffert, who has dominated the Futurity in recent years, winning three of the last four with Point Given (2000), Captain Steve (1999) and Real Quiet (1997). “I just wanted to see how he was doing before deciding to run him here.”

Unbeaten in his first five starts, Officer has won only once at the Futurity distance. That victory came in the Champagne at Belmont Park, where 11/16 miles is around one turn.

Besides the Baffert pair and Yougottawanna, five others are expected to be entered in the Futurity. The likely favorite is Siphonic, who followed up his victory in the Lane’s End Breeders’ Cup Futurity at Keeneland on Oct. 6 with a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Siphonic will be ridden by Jerry Bailey for owners John and Jerome Amerman and trainer Dave Hofmans. The other probables are Fonz’s, who won the Hollywood Prevue at seven furlongs last month; Publication, who was fourth in the Breeders’ Cup; Labamta Babe, who was third in the Prevue, and Brigadier Jones, who will be making his first start in this country after winning one of two in England.