Baffert aiming to ship Liaison for the Kentucky Derby
The 3-year-old Bob Baffert trained colt, Liaison, has ample earnings to be eligible for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, and when asked the conditioner said he aimed to ship the Indian Charlie colt along with his fillies Eden’s Moon and Princess Arabella, who
are likely to start in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on 4 May, 2012, at Churchill Downs.
Liaison is now sitting pretty with $393,000 in career earnings, and he was in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby along with stable mates Paynter and Blueskiesnrainbows.
Blueskiesnrainbows finished on the money in third behind the second placed, Creative Cause and winner I’ll Have Another, while the 9 to 1 shot Paynter was fourth and Liaison, who was expected to do better than both of them finished a dismal 6th.
Bob Baffert said that Paynter didn’t have the best start from the gate, as he stumbled while getting out and that got him off track. The initial plan was to make his sit at second or third and then go for the kill, but the start kind of took it away from
him while Liaison never really got going.
“Liaison never has liked this track,” Baffert said. “He ran well yesterday. He broke his maiden here. But he ran better at Hollywood Park. (Rafael) Bejarano never really seemed comfortable on him--he got stuck on the inside a little.
“Blueskiesnrainbows is the kind of horse that maybe goes to the Belmont. He could run all day. That was a big improvement for him. Paynter ran a really good race. He had some trouble and still figured it out.
“The winner ran a good race. He was in the same spot all the way, and the kid (Mario Gutierrez) rode a really good race.”
Arnold Zetcher owned, Liaison, is out of mare Galloping Gal by Victory Gallop. The three-year-old never really got going after his hat-trick at the beginning of his career where he landed his maiden, Real Quiet Stakes and the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity Stakes.
In 2012, he finished eighth in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes, fourth in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes and recently 6th in the Santa Anita Derby with a possible start in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.
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