Breeders' Cup Challenge Series | Horse Racing Free Tips

Baffert: Improbable ‘Getting Really Good’ While Maximum Security ‘Didn’t Bring His ‘A’ Game’

It was business as usual for Bob Baffert Sunday morning at Santa Anita after the two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer savored victories on Saturday by undefeated Princess Noor and relatively unsung Improbable in Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races at the Arcadia, Calif., track.

Princess Noor proved convincingly she can handle two turns, giving Baffert a record 12th triumph in the Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, while Improbable rallied from last to capture the G1 Awesome Again Stakes, vanquishing stablemate and odds-on favorite Maximum Security in the process.

“You're never sure about going two turns, and she was stuck behind horses coming out of the one hole, but she came out of the race really well,” Baffert said of Princess Noor, a $1,350,000 purchase owned by Saudi businessman Amr Zedan who campaigns as Zedan Racing

“She's still doing her thing and it looks like two turns is not going to be a problem for her,” Baffert added.

Princess Noor will likely be the favorite for the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland on Nov. 6.

Improbable and Maximum Security are likely headed to the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 7, Improbable earning a fees-paid berth with his Awesome Again victory and Maximum Security winning a similar spot through his triumph in the G1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar.

“Improbable and Max came out really well. I knew there was going to be a lot of pace, and we were going to sit off of it and then let Max run, but he was in between Midcourt and they were just bumping the whole way down the backside.

“They were in a full drive from the half-mile pole, but he didn't bring his A game, and Improbable is getting really good. He's got a lot of Grade 1's on his resume, he's filled out, matured, and Drayden (Van Dyke) rode a great race, just sat back there early on.

“He saw what was happening up front and let them go.”

Next up for Baffert is Saturday's Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md. Thousand Words worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 Saturday at Churchill Downs towards that goal while Kentucky Derby winner Authentic works there Monday.

“As long as Authentic works good, both horses will ship to Maryland on Tuesday,” Baffert said.

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Baffert 1-2 As Improbable Defeats Maximum Security In Awesome Again

With his highly regarded stablemate pressured while a joint second between horses going to the far turn, Bob Baffert's rapidly improving Improbable kicked into high gear from dead last and swept to an emphatic 4 1/2-length score in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., a key prep for the G1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland Nov 7.

Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, Improbable got a mile and one eighth in 1:49.01 while notching his third consecutive G1 victory.

The Awesome Again, named for the 1998 Breeders' Cup Classic winner that was bred in Ontario, Canada, by Frank Stronach and owned by his Stronach Stables, is a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifier, with the winner earning a fees-paid berth into the Grade I, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

Longshot Take the One O One, ridden by Jose Valdivia, Jr., set a solid pace while Maximum Security, regarded by many as the best horse in America, sat a joint second between Sleepy Eyes Todd and Midcourt, while Take the One O One opened up to a two-length lead a quarter mile out, only to see the winner sweep by four-deep turning for home.

“I knew I was coming in here with two really good horses,” said Baffert, who collected his fourth Awesome Again win. “Maximum Security was in that scrum and they were really running up close (together). I saw Drayden, he knew what was happening, so he just sat back. He rode a great race, he knew what was going on, he took his time, rode him with patience.

“He's had good luck with this horse. He loves this track. He seems to be better in the gate here, that's why we ran him here. I hate to see my horses have to beat the other horse but 'Max' ran gallantly. He fended off the speed, but the next one is the big one. But today, it was all about Improbable.”

Owned by WinStar Farm, LLC, China Horse Club International, Ltd. and SF Racing, LLC, Improbable, fifth as the favorite behind Maximum Security in the 2019 Kentucky Derby and most recently a winner of the G1 Whitney at Saratoga Aug. 1 and the G1 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita June 6, was off at 9-5 and paid $5.60, $2.40 and $2.10.

“The gate guy did a fabulous job with him, holding him still, he got out clean,” said Van Dyke, who has now won six races with Improbable, including the Hollywood Gold Cup. “I was going to see what everyone else was gonna do, and they did what they did and I did what I did and it worked out good.”

With regard to his thoughts on the upcoming Breeders' Cup Classic, Van Dyke took an introspective approach. “I take it a day at a time and I'm grateful for this win. He showed a different tactic today, which he showed before when he was two. He used to come off the pace more than usual…He's been training super, so I was just waiting for the stretch to come.

“It's awesome, especially for Bob and the owners, everyone involved. I'm grateful for the chance. He's gotten better and better. He's a great horse.”

With today's win, Improbable, a 4-year-old colt by City Zip out of the A.P. Indy mare Rare Event, collected his fourth G1 win and improved his overall mark to 14-7-3-0. With the winner's share of $180,000, he increased his earnings to $1,709,520.

Maximum Security, who became the only horse in Kentucky Derby history to be disqualified from victory for a racing infraction, had a six-race winning streak snapped in what was his third start for Baffert. Pressured between horses throughout, he battled gamely for the place, finishing a half length in front of Midcourt.

Reunited with Luis Saez, who last rode him in the $20 million Saudi Cup three starts back on Feb. 29, Maximum Security was the 1-2 favorite in a field of five and paid $2.10 and $2.10.

“There was a lot of pressure along the way and he couldn't get comfortable, but that's how these races go,” said Saez. “You win sometimes and don't others. The good thing is he pulled up pretty good, so let's see how next time goes. He was fighting at the end of the race, but we lost.”

Off at 12-1 with Victor Espinoza, Midcourt paid $2.40 to show.

Fractions on the race were 23.33, 46.36, 1:09.79 and 1:35.65.

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Get Her Number Upsets American Pharoah Stakes In Dirt Debut

From turf to dirt, to victory in Saturday's Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., the Peter Miller-trained Get Her Number marched to a three-quarter length victory, thus assuring him a fees-paid berth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland on Nov. 6. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Get Her Number covered 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:44.92.

A restrained second, one length off of longshot Dyn O Mite around the first turn, Get Her Number settled into a fluid stride down the backside, took command three furlongs out and had a two-length edge on Rombauer three-sixteenth of a mile from home and was not threatened from there.

A first-out five-furlong maiden turf winner on Aug. 14, Get Her Number was most recently fourth, beaten one length in an ungraded one mile turf stakes on Sept. 7 at Del Mar. Off at 8-1 in his first main track try, Get Her Number paid $18.20, $8.20 and $3.40.

Owned by Gary Barber, Get Her Number, who was purchased for $45,000 out of the OBS April 2-year-olds in training sale, picked up $180,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $219,000.

Sixth in the same race the winner exited on Sept. 7, Rombauer was also trying dirt for the first time and he responded with a big effort for trainer Michael McCarthy, finishing 4 3/4 lengths clear of favored Spielberg. Off at 11-1 with Mike Smith, Rombauer paid $9.60 and $4.40.

Third with no apparent excuses, Spielberg, who was off at even money with Luis Saez, paid $2.40 to show.

It's worth noting that the winner was very fractious in the saddling paddock, but had no apparent issues once the field came on the track.

Fractions on the race were 23.12, 47.07,1:12.46 and 1:37.97.

The American Pharoah is named for Bob Baffert-trained 2015 Triple Crown winner and is a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifier to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Nov. 6 at Keeneland.

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Mucho Unusual Gives Jockey Juan Hernandez First Grade 1 In Rodeo Drive

Scoring his third victory of the afternoon, jockey Juan Hernandez guided George Krikorian's homebred Mucho Unusual to the front after the opening quarter mile, then lulled the competition to sleep, taking Saturday's Breeders' Cup Win and You're In Rodeo Drive Stakes on turf by 1 1/4 lengths for his first career Grade 1 triumph.

The victory ensured Mucho Unusual a fees-paid spot in the starting gate for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

Trained by Tim Yakteen, Mucho Unusual, a California-bred 4-year-old filly by Mucho Macho Man out of Not Unusual, by Unusual Heat, was winning for the fifth time in 16 career starts. This was her first G1 victory, her biggest previous win coming in the G2 San Clemente Stakes in 2019, when she also finished a close second in the G1 American Oaks.

Mucho Unusual paid $8.80 after covering 1 1/4 miles on firm turf in 2:00.19.

Maxim Rate finished second, with 7-5 favorite Lady Prancealot third, Tonahutu fourth and Pretty Point fifth in the field of six fillies and mares.

Tonahutu broke on top in the short run down the hillside turf course, but Hernandez put Mucho Unusual on the lead crossing the dirt and onto the main turf course. Mucho Unusual hung up fractions of :24.29, :49.52 and 1:14.07 for the first six furlongs, with Tonahutu and Maxim Rate her closest pursuers.

Approaching the stretch, after a mile in 1:37.28, Mucho Unusual still maintained an uncontested lead and she was never seriously threatened down the stretch as Lady Prancealot attempted to make a wide, belated bid from far back.

Mucho Unusual was coming off a half-length defeat when third in the Solana Beach Stakes at Del Mar, a race restricted to Cal-breds. Prior to that, Yakteen sent the filly to Keeneland, where she finished eighth in the G1 Jenny Wiley.

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