'He knows my horses'; Garcia, Baffert reunite at Oaklawn Park

Jockey Martin Garcia had a memorable Sunday at Oaklawn Park, and it included more than picking up two live mounts in upcoming major stakes races for Southern California-based trainer Bob Baffert.

Garcia said he was struck in his right shoulder by a small bird approaching the finish line of the eighth race aboard Tipsy Gal. While Tipsy Gal finished second in the maiden special weights sprint for females, Garcia said the event near the wire was a first for him during a highly successful riding career that began in the United States in 2005.

“Good thing that I saw it coming and I moved my face to the left,” Garcia, 35, said during training hours Monday morning. “It would have broken my nose. It wasn’t a big bird. That’s never happened to me before. I think it’s good luck.”

Garcia’s good work this year at Oaklawn, and in the past for Baffert, helped the jockey land two prized mounts for the Hall of Fame trainer Saturday, the final day of the scheduled 57-day meeting. Oaklawn’s second-leading rider is scheduled to be aboard Improbable for the first time in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses and unbeaten Charlatan for the first time in the first division of the Arkansas Derby (G1), a major Kentucky Derby prep.

Garcia was once Baffert’s go-to rider in the morning and afternoon. They teamed for 371 victories, including 103 stakes, between 2010-2015, collecting such marquee events as the Preakness, Breeders’ Cup Classic, Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Kentucky Oaks, Santa Anita Handicap, Santa Anita Derby, Hollywood Gold Cup, Haskell Invitational, Clark Handicap and Malibu. 

Garcia also rode American Pharoah, Baffert's 2015 Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year, in his first career start and regularly breezed the colt during his Triple Crown year.

Baffert and Garcia had a reported “falling out” in the spring of 2016 but have reunited more recently. Garcia is riding regularly for the first time at Oaklawn after relocating from the Southern California to the Midwest last fall. Baffert began sending select horses to Hot Springs after Santa Anita suspended racing March 27 because of the new virus.

Garcia has been regularly breezing Baffert’s new arrivals, including Improbable, and they’ve turned back in the clock in the afternoon, too, going 5-for-6 together through Sunday.

“Martin’s been helping me out there,” Baffert said. “Martin, he knows my horses. He’s been on every good horse I’ve ever had. He can handle pressure pretty well, too. I’m glad that he’s doing really, really well.”

Garcia said he was informed Sunday by his agent, Jay Fedor, that he would be riding Improbable and Charlatan. Southern California-based Drayden Van Dyke rode Improbable to a runner-up finish in the Oaklawn Mile on April 11 and was aboard Charlatan for his two blowout victories earlier this year at Santa Anita.

Garcia said he’s grateful to have an opportunity to ride Improbable and Charlatan, particularly since it’s for a trainer who helped his career reach new heights a decade ago.

“I’ve been pretty lucky because he had options to put anybody on these horses and then he gives me a chance,” Garcia said. “I’ve been lucky. Those opportunities don’t come every day and I just have to take advantage of that."

Garcia enters the final three scheduled days of the meeting with 51 victories, three less than six-time local riding champion Ricardo Santana Jr. Joe Talamo, another former Southern California fixture riding regularly at Oaklawn for the first time, is third with 50. Defending champion David Cohen is fourth with 44.

“I don’t care,” Garcia said, when asked if he can catch Santana. “I’m just having fun. Been lucky. I have had a lot of support from good people and my agent. He’s doing a good job."

Overall, Garcia and Baffert had teamed for 443 career victories through Sunday, including nine at Oaklawn. Four local victories have come in stakes, including the Rebel (G2) in 2016 with Cupid.

Garcia said he will ride at Churchill Downs after Oaklawn closes.