Misremembered coasts in near-record time in Santana Mile

Misremembered looked as if he were out for a Sunday stroll (Benoit Photos) One day after trainer Bob Baffert scored a controversial victory in the Santa Anita H. (G1) with Game on Dude (Awesome Again), his 2010 Big ‘Cap hero MISREMEMBERED (Candy Ride [Arg]) returned from a year-long absence with a far more clear-cut decision in Sunday’s $80,200 Santana Mile S. Confidently handled by Martin Garcia, the even-money favorite sauntered to the lead in the stretch and won with ease by three lengths. His final time of 1:33.50 for a mile on the fast track was within an eyelash of the official track mark of 1:33.40 set by Ruhlmann in 1989, in the days before hundredths were timed. “This horse has been training super and I thought he’d run good, but not this good,” Garcia enthused. “Baffert told me he’s training good, but he’s had a lot of time off and if it looked like he couldn’t win, to just take care of him. “The way he ran today, I really think if he would have run yesterday (in the Santa Anita H.) he would’ve won.”

Misremembered, whose triumph in the Big ‘Cap came exactly a year ago to the
day, settled into a comfortable rhythm in fourth. The pacesetting Matto Mondo
(Chi) (Sir Cat) established splits of :22 1/5, :45 and 1:09, prompted all the
while by Baffert’s other runner, Indian Firewater (Indian Charlie). Kensei (Mr.
Greeley) stalked in third before unleashing a strong bid on the far turn, but he
was about to be inhaled by Misremembered.

Cantering up in hand for Garcia, Misremembered showed no signs of rust from
his lengthy layoff as he lengthened stride at the top of the stretch. The
chestnut simply blew by Kensei at the eighth-pole and drew off, unextended.

Kensei crossed the wire three-quarters of a length ahead of Honour the Deputy
(Honour and Glory), who rallied from last to grab third. Indian Firewater faded
to fourth, another 5 1/4 lengths astern. Cigar Man (Drewman), Matto Mondo and
Arcodoro (Medaglia d’Oro) rounded out the order of finish. Baffert’s third
entrant, Red Door Drive (Sky Mesa), was scratched by the veterinarian, and
Acclamation (Unusual Heat) was withdrawn after running fifth in Saturday’s Frank
E. Kilroe Mile (G1).

Misremembered, who was bred by Baffert in Kentucky, races for his wife Jill
Baffert and George Jacobs. The late-developing ridgling began his career as a
three-year-old, winning two of his first three starts and finishing second in
the 2009 Affirmed H. (G3) in his stakes debut. Misremembered then broke through
with a victory in the Swaps S. (G2), and after a 10th in the Pacific Classic
(G1), bounced back with a score in the Indiana Derby (G2). Runner-up in his next
three outings — the Clark H. (G2), Malibu S. (G1) and Strub S. (G2) — he
captured the Big ‘Cap before heading to the sidelines. His smashing comeback in
the Santana Mile advanced his record to 12-6-4-0, $1,236,709.

“I told Martin (Garcia) to let him break and don’t get in a hurry with him,”
Baffert said. “Just give him a nice little trip. Down the backside, Jill thought
he was too far back, but I told her he was fine. 

“He is so much better than he was last year. He’s filled out. I was sort of
upset at myself for not having him ready for the Big ‘Cap. The thing about him
is that distance is not a problem for him. I feel really fortunate to have some
nice handicap horses.”

Baffert has not yet made plans for Misremembered.

“I’m not sure what I am going to do with him,” Baffert said. “I’m just going
to see how he comes out of this.

“We were thinking about Dubai in the back of our mind, but we don’t know.
There are so many options.”

Misremembered is out of Grade 2 winner Beyond Perfection (Quack), whose
latest foal is a yearling filly by Roman Ruler. This is the family of Grade 2
heroine Onceinabluemamoon (Al Mamoon).