Fab Four…or more?!

Bob Baffert swept four stakes on the super-classy Belmont Stakes undercard, winning three of them (West Coast, American Anthem, Mor Spirit) by open lengths, one of the greatest training feats in modern racing history. With the 2017 Breeders' Cup set for Del Mar, Baffert is poised to make even more history, especially given his dominance at the seaside oval for the past twenty years. Let's take a quick look at how the white-haired wisecracker might equal, or even top the 2003 BC superfecta (Pleasantly Perfect, Johar, Halfbridled, Action This Day) pulled off at Santa Anita by Richard Mandella.

CLASSIC - ARROGATE.........yeah, him. The best dirt horse on the planet is rested, ready and will have two races over the track (San Diego, Pacific Classic) to boot. Good luck Gun Runner. If something happens to Arrogate, the Baffert bench just happens to be loaded. He has Cupid, who just crushed the Gold Cup field going a mile and a quarter in his 4yo debut and Collected, who did the same earlier in the year, as well as the improving 3yo West Coast.....he could run 1-2-3.

SPRINT- Drefong won the BC Sprint last year as a 3yo, has a win over the track, is training up a storm right now and will run at Del Mar again this summer. He's the one to beat. American Anthem just laughed at a solid group of 3yo at Belmont going 7f and could certainly be dangerous cutting back to six, and Baffert has a few other potential starters in this one......decent shot he runs 1-2.

MILE – Mor Spirit annihilated the Met Mile field, his third straight romp at the distance and showed improved early speed to boot, a key factor if he happens to draw wide at Del Mar. Right now, he'd be 2-5 to get the job done and if he gets hurt, ‘Anthem could easily step in as could Collected or West Coast.....the beat goes on.

DISTAFF – Songbird and Stellar Wind are the two to beat, but his Vale Dori came within a head of doing just that to ‘Wind last week and 3yo Abel Tasman just won the Ky Oaks and Acorn. The Baffert duo would be the fourth and fifth choices (Forever Unbridled would take more $$) in the race right now, with a legit shot to upset the reigning queens....also, Vale Dori presses the pace and Abel likes to stalk mid-pack, so that sets up well too.

JUVENILE/J. FILLIES – Baffert's 2yo are just now gearing up, but he's as loaded as always with expensive, precocious 2yo talent so he'll have the one of the top three choices in both races, if not a pair of them, and they will have experience over the track. How good is Baffert with 2yo at Del Mar? Since breaking through with Silver Charm in 1996, Baffert has won the Del Mar Futurity 13 times in 21 years...... that's not a typo.......and seven Del Mar Debutantes in that same time frame. Mandella won both of the 2yo races in '03 and Baffert could easily do the same, especially with the similar home course edge.

So, that's two odds-on favorites (Arrogate, Mor Spirit) and another likely favorite (Drefong)......if that talented trio does their job, he only needs one more for four, and two to top Mandella. He'd have three solid chances (Distaff, Juvenile/J. Fillies) to do it and as everyone in NY learned on Belmont day, you can go broke in a hurry betting against Bob Baffert on the dirt in big races.

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