Maximum Security, the nation's leading older horse, has run at six different tracks in his brilliant 12-race career and will add No. 7 when he debuts at Santa Anita in Saturday's Grade I Awesome Again Stakes.
It is one of five Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Races presented Saturday, offering the winner a fees-paid berth to their respective Breeders' Cup races at Keeneland Nov. 6 & 7.
Maximum Security is trained by Bob Baffert, who has horses entered in four of the 11 races, seven of them stakes. Four of Baffert's runners also are in “Win and You're In” events: Princess Noor, Varda and $4,000 supplemental nominee Illumination in the Grade I Chandelier Stakes for two-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles, and Spielberg in the Grade I American Pharoah Stakes for two-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles.
Luis Saez is reunited with Maximum Security and also rides Spielberg and Illumination. Drayden Van Dyke is back aboard Improbable in the Awesome Again. They won the Grade I Gold Cup at Santa Anita on June 6.
As for strategy, Baffert tends to leave it up to the riders.
“Saez knows the horse really well and Drayden knows Improbable really well, so they'll just figure it out themselves,” he said. “They know what to do.
“Even in a small field the break is very important, but both horses are doing exceptionally well. Hopefully they'll use this race as a steppingstone to the Big Show (Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland on Nov. 7).
“I hate to really run them against each other, but it gives Improbable an extra two weeks to get ready for the Breeders' Cup. He runs better when he's a bit fresher, so that's why we're running them together.”
Improbable doesn't have to carry his track around with him. Of his 13 career races, eight have come on different tracks: Santa Anita, Saratoga, Oaklawn Park, Parx, Del Mar, Pimlico, Churchill Downs and Los Alamitos.
A multiple Grade I-winning son of City Zip, the four-year-old chestnut has won six times with three seconds, earning $1,529,520.
Maximum Security is coming off two straight wins for Baffert at Del Mar, including the Grade I TVG Pacific Classic. The four-year-old son of New Year's Day has won 10 of 12 career starts with an enormous bankroll of $12,191,900.
The bay colt looms an odds-on choice, one of two in that category Baffert has entered Saturday, the other being Princess Noor in the Chandelier Stakes.
Baffert also has the maiden Spielberg entered in the American Pharoah. The chestnut son of Union Rags out of the Smart Strike dam Miss Squeal was second to Dr. Schivel in the Grade I Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs on Sept. 7.
A $1,350,000 daughter of the prodigious young stallion Not This Time, Princess Noor drew the rail against four rivals, two of them also trained by Baffert. She will be going two turns for the first time, having won her debut race on the lead by 2 ½ lengths at 5 ½ furlongs before taking the Grade I Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs on Sept. 6, coming from just off the pace to vanquish three others by 6 ½ lengths.
She was the 7-10 favorite in both starts, each time ridden by Victor Espinoza, who guided American Pharoah to a Triple Crown sweep for Baffert in 2015 and who retains the mount on Princess Noor Saturday.
“She's fast; she's shown brilliant speed,” Baffert said. “She's coming back a little quick but she's been handling everything we've thrown at her, so we're looking forward to the race.
“I think Spielberg should like two turns. They went really fast early in the Futurity (45 flat for four furlongs and 1:10.60 for six furlongs) and he got beat by a really nice horse.
“I really think two turns will be better for him, just the way he moves and all. He's bred for it.”
The Chandelier, race three: Princess Noor, (2-5) Victor Espinoza; Make Mischief, (5-1) Abel Cedillo; Varda, (8-1) Drayden Van Dyke; Illumination, (6-1) Luis Saez; and Miss Costa Rica, (6-1) Flavien Prat.
The American Pharoah, race eight: Touchdown Brown, (5-1) Juan Hernandez; Rombauer, Mike Smith; Dyn O Mite, (20-1) Victor Espinoza; Notable Exception, (7-2) Abel Cedillo; Spielberg, (3-1) Luis Saez; Get Her Number, (7-2) Flavien Prat; Weston, (6-1) Drayden Van Dyke; and Waspirant, (6-1) Umberto Rispoli.
The Awesome Again, race 10: Take the One O One, (20) Jose Valdivia Jr.; Improbable, (8-5) Drayden Van Dyke; Sleepy Eyed Todd, (12-1) Umberto Rispoli; Midcourt, (6-1) Victor Espinoza; and Maximum Security, (3-5) Luis Saez.
First post time for Saturday's stakes studded card is 12:30 p.m.
The post Baffert Will Leave Awesome Again Strategy Up To Riders Of Maximum Security, Improbable appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
