Columnist Ralph Siraco: Baffert brings potent double shot into Derby

Ralph Siraco

Monday, April 16, 2001 | 10:01 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing colunn appears Monday and his Southern California selections appear Tuesday-Sunday. Reach him c/o Las Vegas Sun, 2275 Corporate Circle Drive, Suite 300, Henderson, NV 89014.

Spring break has come to an end and -- at least for the horse set -- so have the finals for the spring classics.

The final big three prep races for this year's Kentucky Derby wrapped up on Saturday. While trainer Bob Baffert may be pushing the deadline for Uncle Sam today, he now goes into the Derby with a pair of deductions that is certain to tax other Derby hopefuls in the highest bracket.

The Wood Memorial, the Blue Grass Stakes and the Arkansas Derby provided solid contenders along with those who have already earned a start in the feature race at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.

Not since the heyday of D. Wayne Lukas has a trainer come into the Kentucky Derby -- and the Triple Crown -- with such potent firepower as Bob Baffert does this year.

The silver-haired racehorse conditioner had this year's pre-Derby favorite Point Given tucked in his stall before he uncorked another heavy hitter -- in Congaree -- that the trainer believes may be as good, or better than, the Derby favorite.

Although the Blue Grass Stakes assembled the deepest field of Derby candidates at Keeneland on Saturday, it was the 77th running of the Wood Memorial that produced the better performances.

Congaree stalked pacesetter Richly Blended to the half-mile pole before jockey Victor Espinoza cut the son of Arazi loose for a measured 2 1/2-length victory over Wood favorite Monarchos while the previously unbeaten Richly Blended finished a distant third.

The sensational Florida Derby winner Monarchos lagged near the back of the pack in the $750,000 Grade II event and could never make any impact on Congaree through the Aqueduct homestretch. Baffert said before the Wood that he thought Congaree was as good as his Santa Anita Derby-winning stablemate, Point Given. Owned by Robert McNair, who also owns the new Houston Texans franchise of the NFL, Congaree would have to overcome the disadvantage of being a lightly raced runner in order to win the Kentucky Derby.

Baffert, of course, enjoys the spot of having what could be a pair of well-backed runners for the Kentucky Derby with Point Given and Congaree.

The dynamite duo will give Baffert a better-than-the-average-bear chance of winning the "Run for the Roses" for the third time in five years, having won Derbies with Silver Charm in 1997 and Real Quiet in 1998.

The Blue Grass Stakes, also renewed for the 77th time, produced a popular victory when Millennium Wind took a talented group gate-to-wire in the 1 1/8-mile Grade I Derby steppingstone under Laffit Pincay, Jr. The world's winningest jockey quickly learned of the "golden rail bias" on the Keeneland surface and used that to their advantage while stopping the clock in 1:48:1.

Songandaprayer chased the son of Cryptoclearance from the start and finished second while favorite Dollar Bill closed to be third.

Jockey Jerry Bailey suffered the most frustration in the $750,000 race as he finished last on Hero's Tribute after giving up the mount on Congaree in New York.

The 54-year-young Pincay rode his first Blue Grass in 1968 and will return to the Derby for the first time since 1994. While Pincay will be riding in his 20th Derby looking for his second victory in the race -- he won on Swale in 1984 -- trainer David Hofmans will be saddling his first Derby mount.

Finally, the Grade II Arkansas Derby showcased the largest Derby prep field of the day at Oaklawn Park. Balto Star took a suspect field gate-to-wire over an off track for his third consecutive victory.

The improving son of Glitterman came into the "Racing Festival of the South" centerpiece off a powerful Spiral Stakes victory at Turfway Park. He has won his last three races by a combined total of 28 lengths.

With only the Lexington Stakes yet to be run this Saturday, the Derby finals are all but over. However, remember that 1999 Kentucky Derby winner Charismatic used the Lexington that year as his Kentucky Derby prep.