Bob Baffert is looking forward to this weekend. The Hall of Fame trainer has
two Grade 1 winners entered in stakes at Santa Anita, Hollywood Starlet heroine
Streaming in Saturday’s Grade 1 Las Virgenes and Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner
Secret Circle in Sunday’s Grade 2 Palos Verdes.
Dating back to 1999 with Excellent Meeting, Baffert has won the Las Virgenes
three times, adding Composure (2003) and Eden’s Moon (2012) along the way.
On Saturday, the 61-year-old conditioner goes for the “Grand Slam” with
Streaming, an unbeaten daughter of Smart Strike who captured the December 7
Starlet in only her second start.
“She’s doing well,” Baffert said of the filly owned and bred in Kentucky by
John Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings, Inc. and Edward McGhee. “She worked
well Sunday (five furlongs in 59 4/5).”
The Las Virgenes will mark the bay filly’s first start on conventional dirt.
Her previous starts came on Hollywood Park’s Cushion Track, winning each by 1
1/2 lengths while in close attendance to the pace.
“There’s not really a concern,” Baffert said. “I would assume she’d be better
on the dirt. She’s moved forward from her last race.”
Streaming, the 2-1 morning line favorite among eight rivals, will have to
break from the far outside post position going a mile, but Baffert isn’t
concerned by the draw.
“She’s got a lot of speed,” he pointed out.
Secret Circle won both starts in 2013, capturing an optional claiming event
in October before posting a neck tally in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint as the 5-2
favorite, and the five-year-old horse has never been worse than second in nine
career outings, winning seven times with a career bankroll of $1,878,790.
“They couldn’t be doing better,” Baffert said. “We’re good. I’m running my
best horses this weekend.”
Secret Circle worked five furlongs Monday in a bullet :58 4/5. He will face
only four rivals, including last year’s winner, Sahara Sky, in the six-furlong
Palos Verdes.
Martin Garcia has the call on both Baffert horses.
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