Penn Derby rivals probing for any rust on Chrome

Bayern was “angry” after his flop in the Travers (Bill Denver/Equi-Photo) California Chrome’s race-fit rivals are looking to spring an upset in Saturday’s Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx, hoping that the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner is a little ring-rusty off the three-month break. “I think if there’s any time you can beat him, maybe coming off a layoff, this would be the time,” said Jim Barnes, Hall of Famer Bob Baffert’s assistant who will saddle Bayern. “He’s a great horse, taking nothing away from him. He’s a classic horse. He may well show up Saturday and prove that he is a champion.” A smashing winner of the Haskell two starts back, Bayern galloped once around the Parx oval on Friday. The dark bay seeks to rebound off a last in the Travers. “After the race, in the stall, that’s the only way I can describe it — he looked angry,” Barnes said of the Travers flop. “He knew he got beat, from what I could see, from his body language. He can be kind of aggressive, kind of feisty, and he didn’t look the same. “He never missed a day. We gave him like five days off after the Travers, just because we traveled so much. We’re thinking, well, it was a mistake going to the Travers. We’ll see how he looks now. We know what’s ahead of us and where we’re going to go, and if he’s doing well we’ll take a shot at Pennsylvania. He showed Bob he was ready to come to this race, with the works.”

Candy Boy enters in peak form, according to trainer
John Sadler.

“I think he is as good as or better than he’s ever been,” Sadler said. “We
gave him some time off after the (Kentucky) Derby.

“We had a nightmare and no chance (when 13th) in the Kentucky Derby. He had a
wide post and got wiped out, so we gave him a little time off. We ran him once
in California before we thought about running out of state. Unfortunately, that
was with Shared Belief. He ran a good race that day (second in the Los Alamitos
Derby) and beat the third horse a long way.

“In West Virginia, he ran great over there (just nipped by Penn Derby rival
Tapiture). We got home and thought the spacing was good to this race, so here we
are.

“We gave him a good gallop this morning,” Sadler said Friday. I think he knows when we’re going. He
never seemed to have to take a specific type track, so hopefully it will be
something he likes. He seems to be very adaptable.”

Candy Boy, who was ridden by Corey Nakatani in the West Virginia Derby, gets
a rider switch to Joel Rosario.

“We’ve won tons of races together while he was here in
California,” Sadler said of the partnership. “He rode his first winner in Southern California for me and we’ve had
a lot of success. We’ve had a lot of success, whether it was Sidney’s Candy or
Twirling Candy or Zazu. He’s been leading rider, I’ve been leading trainer. He’s
also a friend of mine.

“When he came over for this race, we decided to put him
on. Nothing against Corey. He rode my horse very well last time, but if Joel is
available, we’re going to use him.

“He’s a stalker,” the trainer added of Candy Boy’s preferred running
style. “He wants to be just off of the speed. I
don’t want him way back. He should get a stalking type trip. It would fit him
very well. Baffert is clearly talking about wanting the lead with that
horse (Bayern), and California Chrome will be up there early. We’ll be just behind them.”

Tapiture overcame traffic trouble to edge Candy Boy (right) in the West Virginia Derby (Coady Photography) Tapiture also plans to stalk, according to Scott Blasi, assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen. “I think Tapiture is going to be stalking. I think there’s good pace in the race and he’s pretty handy away from there. I see him having a nice stalking trip. He drew well on the outside (post 7). “You run against the Derby and Preakness winner — that’s not an easy task,” Blasi said of facing California Chrome. “Those races aren’t flukes that he ran. If he’s still at that caliber, he’s going to be hard to beat. “We do believe that Tapiture is bigger, stronger and he’s fresh right now and as fit as he can be. It’s a horse race — they all have to get in the gate and get around there. We’re happy with our horse is doing, and it’s hard to worry about how somebody else’s is. “He’s just fresh, you know? We gave him plenty of time after the Derby (where he finished 15th). We missed the other two Triple Crown races. We got him freshened back up in the Matt Winn (June 14 at Churchill) win. He’s coming into this race third race off the layoff with plenty of spacing in between his races.

“I think the three-year-old crop is getting better
as they go. You look at Shared Belief, California Chrome; these are a nice bunch
of horses. Candy Boy, Tapiture, the horse of Bob’s — Bayern — it’s a good group.
I wouldn’t turn any of them down to train.”

Tapiture and his stablemate Untapable, the morning-line favorite in the Grade
1 Cotillion, schooled in the Parx paddock at 10
a.m. (EDT) Friday.

“Both of these horses’ works and preparation up to this race have been
exactly where we want them to be and we’re happy where they are right now,”
Blasi said of the Winchell Thoroughbreds’ homebreds.

“Tapiture galloped a mile. His energy level is good. He got over the track
really well.”

“She (Untapable) just jogged on the track and galloped an easy mile. We weren’t
going to do much. She’s carrying great weight.

“I love how she looks.
She’s fresh and happy. They worked together. She’s worked with (turf veteran) Regally Ready.
She’s had some great preparation.”

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