Baffert's Breeders' Cup juveniles bring the speed to Santa Anita

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said Thursday that Eight Rings certainly deserves to be one of the top choices in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

The Empire Maker colt has won two of his three starts and is the 2-1 second choice on the morning line behind 8-5 Dennis’ Moment. The lone loss came when he dropped jockey Drayden Van Dyke at the start of the Del Mar Furturity (G1).

In his most recent start, Eight Rings rebounded to win the American Pharoah (G1) by six lengths.

“He just has raw, raw talent that we’ve seen,” Baffert said. “He showed that he can go long. He’s fast. He can get out of trouble. He’s quick. That’s what you want this time of year. You want a horse with speed. He likes it better if he has a horse go with him.

“After that Del Mar incident we put the blinkers on him because he’s still a little green so he’s looking around a lot. What I like about him and all my good horses is that they don’t get tired. That’s what separates the really good ones.”

Eight Rings, owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing Stable, Madaket Stables LLC, Fred Hertrich, III,  John Fielding, Golconda Stables and Coolmore Stud, galloped 1 3/8 miles Thursday morning under rider Humberto Gomez.

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez and Eight Rings will start from post six in the eight-horse Juvenile.

Velazquez also has the mount on Baffert's Juvenile Fillies contender Bast, who prepped with a neck win in the Chandelier Stakes (G1) on Sept. 27 in her first try in a race around two turns.

The Chandelier score pushed her record to 2-0-1 and helped make her the co-second choice at 7-2 on the morning line. She will leave from post six in the field of nine.

“She’s a nice filly. She’s fast,” Baffert said. “In her last race, she struggled a little bit to win. When she came back she was blowing pretty good. She got a little tired. Sometimes you can get away with two turns this early in the season – they’re fast, they’ve got quality and will hold on – and later on they all catch up with you.

“I think we’re all in the same boat, all those fillies. Nobody knows with the two turns. That’s a big factor. The favorite is Donna Veloce. She’s really fast, but you don’t know what they’re going to do when they come around that second turn. It’s amazing. Some of them it hits them right between the eyes, that distance, that second turn. We have an edge there because we’ve already done it. That’s a big thing.”

Bast galloped 1 3/8 miles Thursday under exercise rider Manny Avila.