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‘He Covers A Lot Of Ground’: Baffert Compares Travers Contender Uncle Chuck To Arrogate

Though the bottom side of Uncle Chuck's pedigree suggests he might prefer one turn, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is sending the 3-year-old son of Uncle Mo east to contest the 1 1/4-mile G1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga this Saturday.

“One of the reasons I bought him, when I saw him, he's an Uncle Mo with all speed in there, but if you look at him he just doesn't look it,” Baffert said on Tuesday's NTRA teleconference. “He was big, tall, lanky, not like a typical Uncle Mo… He's got the body of a two-turn horse.”

A $250,000 yearling at the Keeneland September sale, Uncle Chuck went to Barry Eisaman for his early training. Baffert specifically told Eisaman not to rush the big colt, that he didn't plan to run him at two. In fact, Uncle Chuck didn't debut until June of his 3-year-old year, winning his first start over a mile at Santa Anita by seven lengths. In his second start, the colt posted a four-length win over stablemate Thousand Words in the G3 Los Alamitos Derby.

“A horse like Uncle Chuck, he would never have run in the (Kentucky) Derby, but now he's got a chance,” Baffert said, referring to Churchill Downs' decision to delay the Run for the Roses to Sept. 5. “We just let him grow into himself, the same thing that happened with Arrogate.”

It isn't the first time Baffert has compared Uncle Chuck to Arrogate, the record-setting Travers winner of 2016.

“I really think with his stride, he covers a lot a ground,” said Baffert. “The ground that he covers reminds me of Arrogate. He handles it well, doesn't get tired.”

There are questions left to be answered, however. Uncle Chuck will be shipping across the country to for the first time in his short career, and he'll be facing a tough group of more experienced rivals, including likely favorite, the Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law.

“I've been very impressed with (Tiz the Law),” Baffert said. “They have managed him well and picked the right spots with him. I think he has progressed perfectly. He definitely is the best 3-year-old in the country right now. I'll get an idea if I can run with him or not. It is going to be exciting, but we're hoping we are as good as he is, that is why we are going over there.”

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INQUIRY: What Is The Greatest Race You’ve Seen In Person?

A horse race can be one of the best live sports experiences out there, and witnessing a truly great one can be the kind of thing that sticks with a person for a lifetime.

That's the thought on the minds of folks in this edition of INQUIRY, where we ask members of the bloodstock industry to reminisce on the “tell your grandchildren” moments they've been fortunate enough to see by posing the question, “What is the greatest race you've seen in person?

Seth Gregory – Seth Gregory Bloodstock

“That one's easy. The 1996 Dubai World Cup. I was fortunate enough to go be Cigar's groom for that race. I was Bill Mott's foreman at the time, and his groom couldn't go, so I went as his groom. It was a huge blast.”

Mike Recio – South Point Sales

“John Henry's Arlington Million. I became a John Henry fan for the rest of my life. He came from humble beginnings, was a gelding and tried every time, and it was a special story.”

Jimbo Gladwell – Top Line Sales

“We won the South Florida Derby at Hialeah Park a few years ago with a Quarter Horse we bred, and that was pretty exciting when you own them and have raised them. Her name was Ima Gator Fan. Me and some buddies chartered a little plane and flew down from Gainesville, and it was like living like rockstars.”

Chris Bernhard – Hidden Lake Farm

“I would have to say the Travers that Arrogate won. I'm just in awe of the horse. We got a nice mare to Arrogate, and you just watched him show up, shipping all over the country, and it was cool to be in his presence.”

Joe McMahon – McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds

“Jaipur and Ridan in Saratoga in the 1962 Travers was a real classic. Alydar and Affirmed was really good at Saratoga (1978 Travers). They were just outstanding matches, those four.”

Freddie Seitz – Brookdale Farm

“It has to be the 2012 Kentucky Derby, I'll Have Another. It was easily the greatest racing day I've ever been to.”

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Does Cezanne Justify The Hype Of Previous Baffert Stars?

Cezanne, who topped Fasig-Tipton's sale of two-year-olds in training last year at Gulfstream Park when he fetched a final bid of $3.65 million, kicked off his racing career with a 2 1/2-length victory in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden race last Saturday at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Cezanne was sent away as an overwhelming 2-5 favorite and posted a final time of 1:16.13. Leading jockey Flavian Prat rode the Kentucky-bred three-year-old colt by two-time Horse of the Year Curlin.

Bob Baffert trains Cezanne for owners Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Michael B. Smith and St. Elias Stable.

“Cezanne was credited with a 90 Beyer Speed Figure,” said Jon White, Santa Anita's longtime morning-line oddsmaker. “Considering he was making his career debut as a three-year-old, I wondered how a 90 Beyer stacks up against the debut Beyers for Arrogate, West Coast and Justify. They also debuted at the age of three for Baffert.

And they all went on to be voted an Eclipse Award that same year as the champion three-year-old male (Arrogate in 2016, West Coast in 2017 and Justify in 2018).

“Because there had been so much hype for Cezanne's debut, some probably expected to see him win by a bigger margin and get a higher Beyer. But a 90 is a lot higher than Arrogate's 80 Beyer in his career debut. And keep in mind that after Arrogate's debut, what he did later that year was extraordinary.”

In the first start of Arrogate's career, he finished third in a six-furlong maiden race at Los Alamitos on April 17, 2016. Later in the year he won the Travers by 13 ½ lengths while breaking Saratoga's track record for 1 ¼ miles.

In his final start at three, Arrogate won the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita beating California Chrome and other older horses.

“What Cezanne's 90 Beyer is comparable to was West Coast's figure in the first start of his career when he got a 91,” White noted.

West Coast began his career by finishing second in a one-mile maiden race at Santa Anita on Feb. 18, 2017. Later in the year he won the Travers and the Pennsylvania Derby before finishing third in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar.

“Justify's debut Beyer went through the roof, a 104, when he won his first race by a huge margin,” White said. “That really was some performance. Justify showed everyone right from the start what an outstanding equine athlete he was.”

Bursting on the scene early in 2018 at Santa Anita, Justify registered a 9 1/2-length victory in a seven-furlong maiden race on Feb. 18. He subsequently won the Santa Anita Derby and swept the Triple Crown, then was retired after the Belmont Stakes. Justify won all six of his career starts.

“Cezanne raced a bit greenly in his first start and should improve with that race under his belt,” White said. “I also think there's a good chance that he will do well when he goes farther. Baffert has said that he believes Cezanne has the potential to have a big second half of the year like Arrogate and West Coast.

“So it's sure going to be interesting to see what Cezanne can do during the rest of the year.”

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