Largely disappointing and forgettable Breeders’ Cup for trainer Bob Baffert
Trainer Bob Bafferts’ Breeders’ Cup contingent had a pretty dull outing, and all of his runners who were expected to do well and sent as favourites or slight favourites couldn’t live up to the expectations when they were up against the best of the best.
It was a largely forgettable 2011 Breeders’ Cup for Bob Baffert, who sent out runners like Plum Pretty, Euroears, The Factor, Game on Dude, Drill, Candrea, Secret Circle and two other to complete his nine runners for the cup.
Game on Dude the 14 to 1 outsider did exactly what he was expected to do in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, he set the pace and kept the pace honest by setting good fractions throughout the 1 ¼ mile race, but nobody counted on Drosselmeyer who came from nowhere to overhaul Game on Dude to finish as the Classic winner and Game on Dude the runner up.
Unfortunately for Baffert, the gate to wire victory was never going to be the case but having said that the front running Game on Dude held his run together pretty well to finish second in a highly competitive field.
Apart from Game on Dude, Bob Baffert had another reason to jump out of his seat to see his juvenile runner Secret Circle to victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint.
The odds on Secret Circle did what he was asked to do, and based on odds Bafferts’ contingent was the modest one out there, but the only exception was Plum Pretty the second favourite to win the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic.
She turned out to be Bafferts’ biggest disappointments as Plum Pretty faded away in the final furlong and couldn’t keep up with the pace as the protagonist wilted to finish a distant fifth on the day.
Talking about other Breeders’ Cup divisions, Euroears was representing Bob Baffert in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at 5 to 1 and The Factor ran in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, both added to the conditioners disappointment.
In the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, Candrea finished 11th and thus ended the most disappointing Breeders’ Cup for Bob Baffert who will be looking the right all the wrongs of this year next year hopefully.
Tags: