Bayern romps in Pennsylvania Derby, Cal Chrome sixth

Opening up a three-length advantage at the eighth pole, Bayern coasted home

by 5 3/4 lengths under Martin Garcia to take the 1 1/8-mile feature in 1:46 4/5,

shaving one-fifth of a second off a track record set by Selari Spirit in the

1974 Hessian Handicap during the track's inaugural season.

"That was just a powerful performance," said winning trainer Bob Baffert via

telephone from California. "He broke well and they let us go and Martin hustled

to get away from California Chrome. When California Chrome was pinned in there I

knew it was going be tough for California Chrome. He was the target -- we

weren't the target. When Bayern runs like that, nobody's going to beat him.

"If you look at him, he doesn't look like a horse that's going to run a mile

and an eighth, a mile and a quarter; he's sort of a compact horse. He must have

a big heart and a big set of lungs and he carries his speed."

Tapiture, a three-time graded stakes winner this season including last

month's West Virginia Derby over Candy Boy, beat that deep-closing rival again

on Saturday, but for second by a head. Longshots Noble Moon and C J's Awesome

finished a dead heat for fourth, with 9-10 favorite California Chrome sixth.

Protonico and Classic Giacnroll rounded out the order of finish.

Espinoza blamed the riding tactics of other jockeys in part for California

Chrome's defeat.

"The other riders, they worried about me, they didn't worry about the one in

the front, and I knew I was in trouble in the first turn," Espinoza said. "They

were like blocking in front of me, and it was hard to catch the other horse.

Sometimes the other ones don't ride to win, they ride to beat horses.

"I was really desperate and behind, but there was nothing I could do at that

point. I mean, to see those fractions, and they're walking, and I knew I was in

trouble as soon as I hit the first turn. The other horses slowed down in front

of me, and everybody slowed down. Some things, you can't do much at that point.

Hopefully, he can make it in the end, but I noticed in the first turn I was

completely up against it."

California Chrome's trainer Art Sherman also felt his colt's trip compromised

his effectiveness.

Third in the Arkansas Derby in his stakes debut, Bayern was next demoted from

first to second in the Derby Trial at Churchill Downs. He's turned in two major

clunkers this year, finishing ninth in the Preakness after a rough trip and last

of 10 in the August 23 Travers after setting a contested early pace.

"After the Haskell, I was going to wait for this race, but he came back good

and it's the Travers and he was going to be the speed," Baffert revealed. "I

wasn't going to go and afterward I said, 'Why didn't I stick to my original

plans?'"

Bayern, who races for Kaleem Shah, improved his career mark to 9-5-1-1,

$1,639,680.

Bred by Helen Alexander in Kentucky, Bayern brought $320,000 as a

two-year-old in training at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May. He was sired by Offlee

Wild from the Thunder Gulch mare Alittlebitearly, herself a half-sister to Group

3-winning sire Bertolini; stakes winner Alchemilla; and stakes heroine Amelia,

who is in turn the dam of Grade 3 scorers Assateague and Kindergarden Kid as

well as He's Had Enough, runner-up in the 2012 Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Bayern's second dam, Grade 2 diva Aquilegia, is a full sister to champion and

noted broodmare Althea. Aside from producing four stakes winners, led by

Japanese champion Yamanin Paradise, Althea ranks as the ancestress of Grade

1-winning sire Arch; Grade 1 heroines Balletto and Acoma; and U.A.E. Horse of

the Year Festival of Light, among others. Aquilegia and Althea are also full

sisters to Grade 2 winner Aishah, whose offspring include Grade 1 victress

Aldiza and Grade 2 scorer Atelier, and another descendant is current multiple

Grade 3 victress Aurelia's Belle.

Bayern's third dam is Broodmare of the Year Courtly Dee. Her other progeny

include Grade 1 heroes Ali Oop and Ketoh as well as multiple Grade 2 victor

Twining and multiple Grade 3 winner Native Courier. Among her many outstanding

descendants is Group 1 star and influential sire Green Desert.

Interestingly, Bayern hails from the extended family of Kentucky Derby and

Preakness hero California Chrome. Both descend from Judy-Rae, who is Bayern's

fifth dam and California Chrome's seventh dam.

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