Bayern Breezes; Rematch Possible for 'Chrome', Shared Belief
Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and Horse of the Year contender Bayern worked four furlongs Saturday morning in 47.80 under regular rider Martin Garcia in a drill that could lead to a widely anticipated rematch with Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome and male 2-year-old champion of 2013 Shared Belief in the $500,000 San Antonio Stakes on Feb. 7.
The three horses finished one-three-four in the controversial Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 1, California Chrome a neck behind front-running Bayern in third and Shared Belief fourth after a rough start that could have cost him victory.
“He went nice,” Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said of Bayern, who worked without blinkers. “I took the blinkers off so he could work slower, so that was good, but I’ll put them back on when he runs.
“I haven’t really decided on his next race. I’m just getting him ready. The Dubai race (World Cup on March 28) is being considered. That’s why I didn’t run him in the Malibu . . . But the Meydan track in Dubai now is totally different.
“I’ve got see how it plays once they start running there. With the new dirt, you don’t know what’s going to happen. I won’t make the decision (on Bayern’s next race) until I have to.”
At Los Alamitos, meanwhile, California Chrome worked five furlongs in blinkers under regular rider Victor Espinoza in 1:00.60 in preparation for the San Antonio. “He worked great,” said trainer Art Sherman’s son and assistant, Alan Sherman. “The San Antonio should be a great race if everything comes together.”
TWO GRADE I WINS IN ONE DAY NEW MARK FOR HOLLENDORFER
With 6,787 career wins from 29,011 starters, Jerry Hollendorfer ranks third all-time among trainers. But the resolute Hall of Fame conditioner did something Friday he had never done before: win two Grade I races on the same day.
Asked Saturday morning if he had ever won two Grade I’s the same day, Hollendorfer didn’t think twice. “I can tell you, I never have,” he said. “Not two in one day. It was lovely and we’re very grateful to have two good horses that could accomplish that.”
Hollendorfer and assistant Dan Ward sent out Sam’s Sister to a $27 upset under Elvis Trujillo in the Grade I La Brea Stakes. An hour and 13 minutes later, Shared Belief went off in the Grade I Malibu Stakes en route to a neck victory under Mike Smith.
“He came back real good and jogged out good this morning,” Hollendorfer said of Shared Belief. “It looks like he’ll race another day.
“He’ll go back to Golden Gate probably tomorrow to train as usual, but we’ll look at the San Antonio, for sure. We’ll look at it pretty hard.”
Source: Ed Golden, Santa Anita Stable Notes