Bob Baffert’s Cupid charms bettors’ hearts at Arkansas Derby

By RICHARD ENG SPECIAL TO THE LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

9 years ago

In this March 19, 2016, file photo, Cupid and jockey Martin Garcia, right, battles Whitmore and jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., center, down the stretch to win the Rebel Stakes horse race at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark. (Danny Johnston, File/AP)

The Road to the Kentucky Derby enters the late stages Saturday. The final two prep races — the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park and the Lexington at Keeneland — will set the final point standings.

Right now, the 20th horse in the Derby point standings has 32. The two favorites in the Lexington — Swipe (12) and Collected (11) — will get only 10 points with a win. They would need the help of six horses skipping the Derby to move up into the top 20.

Cupid (2-1) from the Bob Baffert barn is the Arkansas Derby favorite. He won the Rebel at Oaklawn last out. Baffert has one other Kentucky Derby horse in Mor Spirit, who just ran second in the Santa Anita Derby.

Baffert has won the Arkansas Derby twice with American Pharoah (2015) and Bodemeister (2012). Bodemeister ran second in the Kentucky Derby. American Pharoah won the Triple Crown last spring. It would be a tremendous feat for Baffert to win the Kentucky Derby two straight years.

Cupid beat six of his Saturday rivals in the Rebel. One of them is Whitmore (9-2), who is the second choice in the Arkansas Derby. He led a cavalry charge in the Rebel that could not catch Cupid.

Creator (10-1) might have been finishing fastest of all for third in the Rebel. He is by world-class stallion Tapit, who has sired a host of Kentucky Derby hopefuls.

Cherry Wine took fourth in the Rebel, but his trainer, Dale Romans, opted to run last week in the Blue Grass at Keeneland. He closed fast for third behind Brody’s Cause. That’s a solid measure about the strength of this Arkansas Derby field.

The most interesting new horse to the field is Gettysburg (6-1) for trainer Todd Pletcher. He is bred to run all day and is highly regarded. But he would need to finish first or second to get enough points. I think he’ll do just that.

My picks in the Arkansas Derby are Gettysburg, Cupid, Creator and Whitmore.

CALIFORNIA CHROME

The connections of California Chrome said they would like to see Del Mar double the purse of the Pacific Classic to $2 million. That would ensure their colt’s participation.

Most of the backlash on social media has been negative. I don’t have a problem with the request; it’s called leverage. If my memory serves me, when Cigar was in his heyday, tracks threw blank checks at his owner, Allen Paulson. He was that popular.

Now, California Chrome is no Cigar. And he never will be. The only horse that could outdo Cigar today would be if American Pharoah made the most remarkable comeback since Lazarus.

But because California Chrome, especially in Southern California, is the most popular horse in training, the owners have leverage.

I just have a hard time seeing California Chrome shipped to Belmont Park or Churchill Downs for a cash grab. If the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita is the final race of his career, why leave California again?

If Del Mar increases the purse, at least it’s out there for all Pacific Classic starters to share in. It might even entice some East Coast shippers to grow the field size.

Richard Eng’s horse racing column is published Friday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. You can get his Santa Anita picks by emailing him at rich_eng@hotmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @richeng4propick