Baffert plots course to Kentucky Derby, Oaks with top juveniles

Bob Baffert, who won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, could be just one of a handful of horses his barn points to the 2019 Kentucky Derby and Oaks given a spree of 2-year-old winners now aiming for points-paying preps.

Still, there’s one name that stands out at the top of the list.

“Game Winner, I wish the Derby was next month,” Baffert said. 

The Candy Ride colt owned by Gary and Mary Wes figures to be 2-year-old champion having won each of the Del Mar Futurity (G1), American Pharoah Stakes (G1) and Juvenile. Already, Game Winner has earned 30 “Road to the Kentucky Derby” points, oftentimes enough to earn a spot in the gate.

He'll freshen up for a 3-year-old campaign as stablemates take their own turn at the trail.

Next up is Improbable, who runs for the partnership WinStar Farm, China Horse Club and SF Racing, all connections involved in Triple Crown winner Justify earlier this year. He won the Street Sense Stakes on the Breeders’ Cup “Future Stars Friday” undercard.

Baffert said Tuesday that he's looking at the Grade 1, $300,000 Los Alamitos Futurity for Improbable's next start. The City Zip colt stretched out to a mile in the Street Sense and would travel an extra sixteenth around two turns in the Futurity. The Los Alamitos feature awards Kentucky Derby points on a 10-4-2-1 basis for first through fourth.

Running in Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Bob Hope Stakes is Mucho Gusto, who won on debut by four lengths at Los Alamitos. The Michael Lund Petersen-owned 2-year-old is among the first crop of 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man.

The Hall of Fame conditioner also plans to have two fillies competing for Kentucky Oaks points in the Grade 1, $300,000 Starlet, run on the same card as the Los Alamitos Futurity.

Chasing Yesterday is a half-sister to 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. The daughter of Tapit, a Summer Wind Equine homebred out of the mare Littleprincessemma, won Monday's Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar. The Starlet will mark Chasing Yesterday’s first graded start since she missed the board in Saratoga's Spinaway (G1) when making her second career start.

Another pointing to the Starlet is Mother Mother, owned by Geroge Bolton, Barry Hall, Barry Lipman, Mark Mathiesen and Andrew Molasky. The Pioneerof the Nile filly led every step in Churchill Downs' Rags to Riches Stakes, the fillies' companion to the Street Sense. Mother Mother also won on debut before finishing second to Bellafina in the Del Mar Debutante (G1). She scratched from the rematch in the Chandelier (G1) due to a fever before bouncing back under the Twin Spires.

If all goes well for the Baffert barn, Mother Mother, and likely a few others, will return to Churchill Downs in May.