Racing: The power of sports is always around us

Hello, my name is John Cherwa, and welcome back to our horse racing newsletter as the Breeders’ Cup countdown starts in earnest.

Every once in a while, you have to switch the order of your priorities from journalist first to human being first. That’s where I am as today’s newsletter comes together. How can I be doing something this unimportant after the horrific happenings in Las Vegas?

And yet I do.

Here’s why: Sports has this incredible ability to heal, to bring disparate folks together, to put them all on the same page. Horse racing isn’t a rooting sport in the traditional sense like the Dodgers or Lakers, but it is every bit as important as team sports when it comes to building unity.

You would be hard-pressed to tell me that people weren’t united when they watched Zenyatta run, especially when she won the Classic. Or how about when California Chrome was winning the hearts of most everyone. You had to love the Beholder-Songbird duel down the stretch in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff, regardless of who you bet on. Same with Chrome and Arrogate in the Classic.

So, let’s take the best of what sports has to offer and move forward and hope for a better day.

Q&A with Bob Baffert

One of the new things we are adding to the newsletter is a different question-and-answer session with some of the personalities who drive this sport. We’ll be asking the same variety of questions on a somewhat regular basis. If you think I’m going to ask about racing, you will be disappointed.

Here’s the first session with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

What’s your favorite TV show you are currently watching?

“Ray Donovan.” It takes place in L.A. Once you get into it … you say, “I wish I knew a Ray Donovan.” The acting is really good in there. It’s so interesting. That and the show “Narcos” are two great shows.

If you weren’t a trainer, what would you be?

I’d have to be directing something. Maybe I should have been a movie director. I like barking out orders.

What’s your all-time favorite movie?

That’s a tough one. I love “Dances With Wolves.” And I like “Gladiator.” Actually, loved “Gladiator.”

If you could have lunch or dinner with any person, living or dead, who would it be?

Charles Barkley. I love Charles Barkley. He’s the voice of reason.

What’s on the top of your bucket list?

Take my wife on a honeymoon that I’ve owed her forever.

(Here’s where wife Jill Baffert, interrupts: That’s a lie. That’s just a sound bite that he’s been regurgitating for 15 years.

(Back to Bob.) I’ve never given her a honeymoon. Poor thing.

What’s your favorite food?

I’m a steak guy. I like medium rare, and I like bone-in fillets. Anything that’s bone-in is good.

What’s your favorite type of music?

I like the old rock. I like stuff like Pink Floyd. I like Peter Frampton. Today, you don’t see the guitar; it’s all synthesizers. I like long guitar riffs. I play the guitar a little bit. I’m not very good, but I like to pretend I can play those songs.

Horses aplenty at Santa Anita

Don’t know if it was Tim Ritvo’s throwing down the gauntlet at trainers not running horses or if horsemen were fearful of the implementation of a three-day week, but it’s been awhile since you’ve seen such full fields at Santa Anita.

It’s actually a tremendous day for bettors because besides the full fields, including three turf races, there is a carryover of $80,091 on the pick six and the single-ticket jackpot is at $71,434. The estimated pick-six pool could reach half-a-mil.

Let’s take a look at what a card with full fields looks like.

First race: claimers, one mile on the turf, eight starters, six — yes six — also eligibles.

Second race: optional claimers, 6 furlongs, seven starters (and this is the lowest)

Third race: maiden claimers, 6.5 furlongs, 12 starters

Fourth race: allowance for Cal-breds, 7 furlongs, seven starters

Fifth race: claimers, 6.5 furlongs down the hill on the turf, 10 starters

Sixth race: maiden special weight for Cal-breds, 6 furlongs, 11 starters

Seventh race: allowance, 6.5 furlongs down the hill on the turf, 10 starters, four also eligibles

Eight race: maiden claiming, 6 furlongs, 13 starters

Wow.

Jeff Nahill's SA spot play

Eighth race: No. 10 Decarchy Dawn (3-1)

Trainer Bob Hess Jr. is pulling out all the stops to get this 3-year-old to break his maiden. He is adding blinkers and gelded the horse since his last race. The son of Decarchy comes out of a key Del Mar race that has produced two winners and keeps jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard.

Jeff Nahill is a quality editor for the San Diego Union-Tribune. He can be reached at jeff.nahill@sduniontribune.com. For other selections go to his blog: fromthewinnerscircle.me

Shameless plug

If you are a Dodgers fan — and you should be for the next few weeks — you need to sign up for our Dodgers Dugout newsletter, hosted by Houston Mitchell, an assistant sports editor at The Times. It’s the second-best sports newsletter we do. Just like this one, it’s an easy sign-up. (Just click here.)

After reading it for a few days, you’ll want to meet Houston and some guy who was once a Dodgers big shot. On Wednesday, Oct. 11 (no racing that day), Houston will be leading a discussion with former Dodgers GM Ned Colletti at Chevalier’s Books, at 126 N. Larchmont Blvd. in L.A. Colletti will be signing copies of his new book. Houston will be doing his best to look busy. For more click here.

Last thought

If you are still undecided whether you like this newsletter, but think you might, forward it to someone else and have them give it a try. Just have them click here and sign up. Remember, it’s free, and all we need is your email, nothing more.

Any thoughts, drop me an email at john.cherwa@latimes.com or feed my ego by following me on Twitter @jcherwa.

Now, the star of the show, Thursday’s entries. (Be sure to give yourself plenty of time, there are a ton of horses.)