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Kentucky Derby Winner Authentic Among Preakness Contenders Breezing At Churchill Downs

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert breezed his two contenders for the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes on Saturday morning at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., with G1 Kentucky Derby winner Authentic given an official clocking of :59.20 for five furlongs – the best of 38 works at the distance – and multiple graded stakes winner Thousand Words going the same distance in 1:02.40.

Also working at Churchill Downs on Saturday morning were G2 Blue Grass Stakes winner Art Collector, clocked one-fifth of a second slower than Authentic in :59.40 under Brian Hernandez Jr., and G1 Alabama Stakes winner Swiss Skydiver, who went a half-mile in :48.00 with jockey Tyler Gaffalione in the saddle.

Thousand Words was scratched from the Derby after flipping in the paddock while being saddled. Art Collector was withdrawn from the race early Derby week after suffering a minor hoof injury. Both, along with Authentic, are on target for the Preakness, to be run at Pimlico race course in Baltimore on Oct. 3. Swiss Skydiver, who was second to Art Collector in the Blue Grass and subsequently second to Shedaresthedevil in the G1 Kentucky Oaks on Sept. 4, is under consideration for the race.

Martin Garcia worked Authentic, a once-beaten Into Mischief colt who gave Baffert a record-tying sixth victory in the Kentucky Derby. Florent Geroux was aboard Thousand Words, a Pioneerof the Nile colt won the Aug. 1 Shared Belief Stakes in his most recent start, defeating the recently retired Honor A. P., the fourth-place Kentucky Derby finisher.

It was the first workout for both horses since the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby.

“Authentic is a big, strong horse and is handling things very well after the Derby,” said Baffert. “I think both horses worked really well this morning.” Baffert, who has been attending the Keeneland September Yearling Sales this past week, plans to return to his home base at Santa Anita in California in the next day or two and has kept his horses in the Churchill Downs barn of his fellow Hall of Famer and friend, D. Wayne Lukas. Baffert said he plans to breeze Thousand Words next Saturday, Sept. 26, and will return to supervise the final Preakness breeze for Authentic on Monday, Sept. 28. Both would then ship to Pimlico on Sept. 29, Baffert said.

Authentic galloped out past the wire, going six furlongs in 1:12.20 and seven-eighths of a mile in 1:25.20 after early fractions of :23.80 and :35.40. Art Collector, a Bernardini colt trained by Tommy Drury Jr., galloped out six furlongs in 1:11.60. He previously breezed a half-mile at Skylight Training Center near Louisville in :48.10 on Sept. 12.

“He's in a great spot right now with his fitness,” said Drury. “We wanted a bit more of a serious work today and he went well within himself. He'll have a maintenance work next weekend before we ship to Baltimore.”

Kenny McPeek, trainer of Swiss Skydiver, indicated to Daily Racing Form's Marty McGee that a Preakness decision for the multiple graded stakes-winning daughter of Daredevil wouldn't be made until the “midnight hour.”

Art Collector breezing at Churchill Downs Sept. 19 under Brian Hernandez Jr.

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Maximum Security Retains Top Spot In Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings

Maximum Security, unbeaten in three starts this year, maintained his top rating in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, while Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) winner Tom's d'Etat jumped into second place over Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up Tiz the Law.

The 2020 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings is a weekly poll of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). The 1 ¼-mile Classic, scheduled to be run on Nov. 7 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., is the climactic race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Gary and Mary West, Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith's Maximum Security (282 votes) has a 52-vote margin over GMB Racing's 7-year-old Tom's d'Etat (230 votes). Maximum Security, trained by Bob Baffert, worked 6 furlongs in 1:11.40 on Monday at Santa Anita Park. Maximum Security earned a free berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic by capturing the “Win and You're In” TVG Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar on Aug. 22. He is scheduled to start next in the “Win and You're In” Awesome Again Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita on Sept. 26.

Tom's d'Etat, trained by Al Stall Jr., appeared on the work tab on Monday for the first time since his troubled third-place finish in the Whitney (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 1. The bay son of Smart Strike breezed 4 furlongs in 50.80 at Churchill Downs.

Tiz the Law (205 votes), who won the Belmont Stakes (G1) and the Runhappy Travers (G1) before losing his first race of the year in the Derby, drops to third place with 205 votes. Trained by Barclay Tagg, Tiz the Law could start next in the “Win and You're In” Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico on Oct. 3 or be trained up to the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

Baffert's two other runners in the top five – Improbable and Authentic – flipped positions in the standings this week. The 4-year-old Improbable (200 votes), owned by WinStar Farm, CHC Inc. and SF Racing, and winner of Saratoga's Whitney, worked 5 furlongs in 59.40 Monday at Santa Anita. He is also a candidate for the Awesome Again.

The 3-year-old Authentic (185 votes), owned by Spendthrift Farm, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables and Starlight Racing, gave Baffert a record-tying sixth Kentucky Derby win. Authentic is slated to run next in the Preakness.

Baffert saddled three consecutive winners (2014-2016) of the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic with Bayern, American Pharoah, and Arrogate, and all were 3-year-olds. Authentic earned a Breeders' Cup Challenge automatic berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic when he won the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park on July 18.

Allied Racing Stable's By My Standards (156 votes), winner of the Alysheba (G2) at Churchill Downs for trainer Bret Calhoun, stays in sixth place, while W.S. Farish's Code of Honor (79 votes) remains in seventh.

Sagamore Farm and WinStar Farm's 4-year-old Woodward (G1) winner Global Campaign (71 votes) rises from ninth to eighth place, switching positions with Bruce Lunsford's Blue Grass Stakes (G2) winner Art Collector (64 votes).

Juddmonte Farms' Suburban Stakes (G1) winner and Woodward runner-up Tacitus (47 votes), remains in 10^th place.

Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – Sept. 15, 2020*

RANK	HORSE	TOTAL VOTES	FIRST-PLACE VOTES
1	Maximum Security	282	20
2	Tom's d'Etat	230	7
3	Tiz the Law	205	3
4	Improbable	200	0
5	Authentic	185	0
6	By My Standards	156	0
7	Code of Honor	79	0
8	Global Campaign	71	0
9	Art Collector	64	0
10	Tacitus	47	0

*Note – The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings have no bearing on qualification or selection into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings are determined by a panel of leading Thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers and members of the Breeders' Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel. Rankings will be announced each week through Oct. 13. A list of voting members can be found here.

In the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, each voter rates horses on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system in descending order.

The 2020 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic will be televised live on NBC.

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Stablemates Authentic, Maximum Security Hold Strong Atop NTRA Polls

While trainer Bob Baffert has been working the yearling sales in recent days seeking out his next stable star, the Hall of Fame conditioner has been able to lay claim to having the top-ranked runners in two of racing's glamour divisions.

For the second straight week, Kentucky Derby winner Authentic leads the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Three-Year-Old Poll while his stablemate, champion Maximum Security, heads up the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll.

Authentic captured the September 5 Kentucky Derby in frontrunning fashion to give Baffert his record-tying sixth triumph in the 10-furlong classic. The son of Into Mischief earned 23 first-place votes and 356 points to lead the poll with Tiz the Law, beaten favorite in the Kentucky Derby, sitting second with 14 first-place votes and 347 points.

Owned by Spendthrift Farm, My Racehorse, Madaket Stables, and Starlight Racing, Authentic is expected to contest the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on October 3.

Blue Grass Stakes winner Art Collector, who had to miss the Kentucky Derby due to a minor foot injury but is also on track for a start in the Preakness Stakes, remains third with 263 points, one point ahead of Grade 1 winner Honor A. P. (262).

Kentucky Oaks runner-up Swiss Skydiver (140 points) is fifth, just ahead of Thousand Words (139), while Oaks heroine Shedaresthedevil sits seventh with 97 points

Gamine, the beaten favorite in the Kentucky Oaks, moves up two spots this week to eighth with 86 points followed by King Guillermo (78 points) and Max Player (77) completing the top 10.

Maximum Security, who captured the Grade 1 Pacific Classic Stakes on August 22, holds a commanding advantage in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll with 27 first-place votes and 347 points. The 4-year-old son of New Year's Day has won his last six starts including victories in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational and Grade 1 Cigar Mile last season.

Multiple Grade 1 winner Vekoma remains in second with 7 first-place votes and 263 points followed by Tom's d'Etat (3 first-place votes, 227 points), who on Monday turned in his first workout since finishing third in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes on August 1.

Champion Monomoy Girl moves up to fourth with 211 points on the heels of her victory in the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes on September 4 while Whitney Stakes-winner Improbable (197 points) ranks fifth.

By My Standards, who captured the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes on the Oaks undercard, remains sixth with 158 points followed by champion Midnight Bisou (156 points) and Tiz the Law (131). Authentic (116 points) and multiple Grade 1 winner Rushing Fall (85) round out the top 10.

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport's most comprehensive surveys of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Voting in both the Top Three-Year-Old Poll and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through the conclusion of the Breeders' Cup in November.

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Baffert: Authentic, Thousand Words Both On Target For Preakness

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday that Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Authentic and Thousand Words are on course for the 145th Preakness Stakes (G1) Saturday, Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

Authentic became Baffert's record-tying sixth Derby winner on Sept. 5 with a 1 1/4-length victory over Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Tiz the Law, the 7-10 favorite. Thousand Words was scratched from the Derby when he acted up and flipped while being saddled in the paddock. Both colts are at Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas' barn at Churchill Downs and are galloping daily. Baffert has not scheduled a date for when the colts will have their next timed works, but said he expected those breezes would happen at the end of this week.

Baffert said that Azul Coast, who earned a berth in the Preakness with a victory in El Camino Real Derby on Feb. 15, is not being considered for the race.

Even though he had won four of five career starts, Authentic, co-owned by Spendthrift Farm, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables and Starlight Racing was the 8-1 third choice in the Derby wagering. He recovered from an awkward start from the outside post of the 15-horse field to make the front after a quarter mile and never gave up the lead. Tiz the Law was within a head of Authentic after a mile, but could not get past the son of Into Mischief. Authentic's time of 2:00.61 was the seventh-fastest in Derby history.

“He came out very well, very well,” Baffert said from the Keeneland September yearling sale in Lexington, Ky. “He's ready to go. We would have been ready to go in two weeks.”

For decades the Preakness has been run two weeks after the Derby. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Triple Crown schedule was dramatically changed this year and the Preakness is the third stop in the series, a month after the Derby.

Baffert's longtime assistant Jimmy Barnes was reaching under Thousand Words to tighten the saddle when the Pioneerof the Nile colt co-owned by the Albaugh Family Stables and Spendthrift Farm reared and fell to the ground.

“Thousand Words, he's fine,” Baffert said. “When he went up he sort of lost his footing and was on his side. He was OK and was checked out. He's doing well.”

Barnes was injured in the incident, though, and Baffert said nine screws and a plate were required to repair his damaged right wrist. Following the Derby, Baffert landed on the ground as he moved to avoid Authentic's reaction to the blanket of roses being placed on his back. Baffert, 67, was not injured.

“The human connections, we were the worst for wear,” Baffert said.

Baffert is the leading trainer in Triple Crown history with 16 victories. He is tied for the most wins in the Preakness, seven, with the 19th century trainer R. Wyndham Walden.

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