Two Santa Anita Victories Save Day for Baffert

Habibti and Officer are no longer unbeaten after the events of Saturday at Belmont Park, but the day wasn’t a total loss for trainer Bob Baffert.

Back at his home base at Santa Anita, Baffert won two races with Brainy, who broke his maiden as the favorite in the fourth, and Pie N Burger, who got the money in the sixth as the 19-10 second choice.

Owned by Prince Ahmed Salman’s Thoroughbred Corporation, which had a disappointing day with the aforementioned Habibti and Officer, Brainy, a 3-year-old son of Deputy Minster, won in his first start in more than a year and his fourth career start.

A 3-year-old gelded son of Twining owned by Ed and Natalie Friendly, Pie N Burger outfinished favored Palmeiro to win in 1:35 1/5 for the mile.

He provided jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. with his second victory of the afternoon.

A race earlier, the world’s winningest rider had won wire-to-wire down the hillside turf course with favored Devil’s Roar.

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Connected, a 10-1 shot, came from far back to beat 4-5 favorite Broken Vow by a half-length in the $166,950 Fayette, the closing-day feature at Keeneland.

Trained by David Carroll for owners Helen Alexander and the Helen Groves Revocable Trust and ridden by Marlon St. Julien, the 4-year-old Twining gelding, who had only two horses beaten after six furlongs, got up to win in 1:50 for the 11/8 miles.

It was the eighth win in 21 starts for Connected, who has won three of four at Keeneland.

With the close of Keeneland, Churchill Downs will begin its 24-day fall season this afternoon.

The main event is the $100,000-added Ack Ack Handicap at 71/2 furlongs. The probable favorite is Illusioned, a 3-year-old son of Woodman who has won four of seven.

Owned by a partnership that includes Team Valor, Bill Heiligbrodt and George Steinbrenner’s Kinsman Stable, Illusioned has been second in his last two races, chasing Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Squirtle Squirt in the King’s Bishop at Saratoga before he was runner-up to Express Tour in the Jerome Handicap at Belmont Park on Sept. 22.

Pat Day will ride Illusioned for trainer Bill Mott. Other contenders include Dream Run, Sure Shot Biscuit, District and Chindi.

The California Cup, a $1.275-million, 10-race event for California-breds, will be held for the 12th time Saturday at Santa Anita and a familiar face will be among the starters.

Native Desert, who won the Cal Cup Mile in 1999, will be making his fourth appearance in the race.

An 8-year-old gelding who ranks among the finest claims in history for owner Miguel Rubio and trainer Juan Garcia, he will try for another win against the likes of Spinelessjellyfish, High Demand and Golden General.