Columnist Ralph Siraco: Two Bobs could make major statement at Belmont

Ralph Siraco

Monday, Aug. 13, 2001 | 9:32 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column 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 89074.

Trainers Bob Baffert and Bobby Frankel warmed up for this weekend's big races with victories at Del Mar over the weekend. Frankel won Saturday's La Jolla Handicap with Marine while Baffert captured the Pat O'Brien Handicap on Sunday with the return of El Corredor.

Baffert and Frankel are arguably the hottest pair of competitors since the M & M boys of Maris and Mantle. The B & B boys are tuning up for an assault of major proportions, the World Thoroughbred Championships Breeders' Cup this fall at Belmont Park.

Key races this week will shed light on the depth of detonation this twin towers of trainers will bring to the fall championships. There are several already on the launching pad for the Breeders' Cup countdown.

Baffert has Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner Point Given back at Del Mar, mapping out the next move following his recent victory in the $1.5 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park. And Baffert may have added a Sprint starter in El Corredor on Sunday. Away from the races since winning the Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct last November, the 4-year-old son of Mr. Greeley annexed the 7-furlong Pat O'Brien with authority, beating the seasoned Swept Overboard from off the bench at the beach.

After a fourth-placed debut finish in a maiden race at the seaside course in 1999, El Corredor's only other defeat in an eight-race career was a solid runner-up effort to Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus in the Grade II Jerome Handicap at Belmont Park in September 2000.

Although Saturday's La Jolla Handicap served no more than a useful victory for the Frankel-trained Marine, it was an important race for the stable to keep its momentum for this weekend's million-dollar races. Marine, who has always shown the ability to run a big race but seldom does, won the La Jolla with a solid closing kick. He is unlikely to show up for the World Thoroughbred Championship Breeders' Cup, but his owners, the Juddmonte Farm, should have several shots at the big payday. The first payment may come this weekend.

Frankel will start a Juddmonte Farm runner in both the Arlington Million on Saturday at Arlington Park and on Sunday in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Each Grade I race carries a purse of $1 million and the Frankel-Juddmonte Farms team will be defending titles in both events.

Last year in the Arlington Million, the tandem scored a satisfying victory with Chester House under jockey Jerry Bailey. Frankel returns with the Juddmonte Farms' Senure, who recently won the United Nations Handicap over the Monmouth Park grass course.

Senure will face a dozen others who were pre-entered for the 19th running of America's first million-dollar race. Set to go the 1 1/4 miles over the spacious Arlington turf course are German-bred Silvano; a trio of British-breds in Caitano, Muakaad and White Heart; and a trio of Irish-breds in Compton Bolter, Make No Mistakes and Takarian. Also heading up the field will be Hap, Quiet Resolve, Slew Valley and Brazilian-bred Redattore. The likely favorite for the Million will be McCaffery, Toffan and Sangster's Paco Gonzalez-trained Bienamado.

On Sunday, the Juddmonte-Frankel combo will start the ultimate "horse-for-course" horse in Skimming for the 1 1/4-mile Classic at the seaside. Skimming prepped last year with a victory in the San Diego Handicap and duplicated that schedule with another victory this year. The 5-year-old Nureyev horse is a perfect 3-for-3 at Del Mar -- all stakes victories.

If Skimming is victorious in the Pacific Classic, it will mark the sixth time Frankel has annexed the race in its 11-year history. Baffert's hopes hang on Captain Steve. Although his handicap star won the rich Dubai World Cup in March, Steve has stumbled in his most recent three outings, the Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs, the Hollywood Gold Cup and the San Diego.

Baffert, however, holds the aces when it comes to the freshman class. The Baffert-trained Officer has scared away all but a few hearty souls for Wednesday's $150,000 Best Pal Stakes for two-year-olds. The 6 1/2-fur- long race may have just three others facing the nation's leading two-year-old.

A winner of both of his lifetime starts, Officer breezed through his final workout for Wednesday's engagement as easily as he breezed through his first two races. He worked five furlongs on Friday in :59:3.

Baffert's response after the move was short and concise. All the trainer could say was, "He's awesome." Like their horses, Bobby Frankel and Bob Baffert are awesome, too.