Columnist Ralph Siraco: Baffert seeks Belmont charm

Ralph Siraco

Monday, May 20, 2002 | 10:34 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Sunday.

Minutes after Saturday's Preakness Stakes, trainer Bob Baffert reflected on his star three-year-old War Emblem, who had just annexed the second jewel of the American Triple Crown.

Then the silver-haired conditioner said, "The third time's the charm."

His reference to the upcoming Belmont Stakes was understandable. Maybe that's because Baffert's near-misses in two previous attempts at the Triple Crown were in front of national television audiences and plastered all over the sports sections of every newspaper and trade publication for the three-week period between the Preakness and Belmont.

Both efforts resulted in disappointed with Silver Charm in 1997 and Real Quiet the following year.

But Baffert's charismatic character and his entertaining personality make him the perfect figure for the new sound-bite media.

The War Emblem story is certain to be made into another ESPN movie or a sweeps mini-series if the son of Our Emblem pulls off the Belmont Stakes on June 8 in the Big Apple.

On May 4, an overlooked front-runner stole America's most famous horse race with aplomb that virtually put all those he beat in the "not next time" mode. How could War Emblem steal the Kentucky Derby with moderate fractions outrunning a full field of classmates who didn't bother to take the pacesetter seriously until it was too late? How could they not take Baffert, who has been Mr. Kentucky Derby, seriously?

By the time the baker's dozen lined up for the 127th Preakness Stakes, just two weeks removed from the Louisville theft, the deck was stacked full of fleet-footed foes gunning for War Emblem. The quick Booklet, the Lukas rabbit Table Limit and the California speedster Menacing Dennis insured no day-in-the-park stroll for the Derby winner this time.

The Baltimore stop meant business.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas said his Derby runner-up Proud Citizen was much tighter for the second round. Trainer Bobby Frankel fired jockey Laffit Pincay, Jr., after Medaglia d'Oro's troubled trip in the Derby -- where they rallied to finish fourth -- in favor of the high profile Jerry Bailey. Seventh-placed Derby favorite Harlan's Holiday returned for trainer Kenny McPeek, who expected a lively pace in the Preakness to soften up the Derby winner. And a host of new-shooters would take their shot at unseating War Emblem from Triple Crown consideration.

Baffert used the two weeks between Triple Crown races to learn more about his new pupil, a time that produced some subtle but important changes leading to their Old Hilltop engagement while keeping the competition and the media guessing as to whether War Emblem would change his front-running style for the race.

Fueling the strategy speculation was a slow and deliberate final workout at Churchill Downs early in the week that had even the biggest War Emblem fans wondering what was happening.

All became evident at Pimlico soon after the starter dispatched the field for the 1 3/16th-mile journey.

Jockey Pat Day eased Booklet off a duel, Table Limit could not -- or jockey Gary Stevens elected not to -- challenge the lead, which left Menacing Dennis sprinting to the front with War Emblem at his flank. As the field rolled through the homestretch for the first time and barreled into the first of two turns, Medaglia d'Oro, US S Tinosa and Proud Citizen had become the closest pursuers.

As Menacing Dennis posted fractions of 22:4 for the first quarter, 46 at the half-mile marker and 1:10:3 for the six-furlongs, the Golden State runner had done his job. Although War Emblem was under heavy restraint by jockey Victor Espinoza, he nevertheless was in attendance to the brisk splits. As Medaglia d'Oro, US S Tinosa, Booklet and then finally Menacing Dennis dropped by the wayside, it was the Derby winner who braced for the staying challenge of Proud Citizen through the homestretch for the final time. Weary from a wide trip, Proud Citizen could not sustain the rally.

War Emblem had put away the speedsters and stalkers. Now, the Derby winner would have to hold off a furious closing charge by the Maryland-based long shot Magic Weisner to send Baffert and company back to Belmont Park with a Triple Crown on the line.

The official chart says three-quarters of a length at the wire, but it was diminishing to inches by the time a jubilant Espinoza stood up in the irons as he geared down the Preakness winner to the cheers of the second-largest Preakness crowd in history.

The final time was 1:56:1 as War Emblem returned $7.60 to win as the favorite. Magic Weisner's place price of $33 to Proud Citizen's $5 show mutuel set up another Derby-like exotics payoffs. The exacta returned $327 and the 8-2-12 trifecta combination was worth $2,311 for a deuce.

Baffert got his fourth Preakness victory, and Saudi Prince Ahmed bin Salman's Thoroughbred Corporation earned a consecutive trophy on the heels of Point Given's win last year.

And, the sport received another marquee Belmont Stakes.