HOT SPRINGS -- What headline-making feat at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort can Bob Baffert pull off next?
In the case of a same-year sweep of the track's Grade I races, he can do it again.
Two weeks after winning the Arkansas Derby with Muth, a longshot to get in the Kentucky Derby but not on the toteboard if that happens, the California-based trainer targets today's Apple Blossom Handicap.
Those two races now carry total purses of $2.75 million, the richer Derby rewarding 3-year-olds and the latter honoring older fillies and mares. A four-time winner of the Arkansas Derby, Baffert seeks a second Oaklawn Grade I sweep with Adare Manor -- nine years after Bodemeister (Derby) and Plum Pretty (Apple Blossom) prevailed.
To assist in that effort, Baffert is bringing along newly crowned Santa Anita riding champion Juan Hernandez, who guided Muth to a two-length win March 30.
Because of a recency edge, Adare Manor is 9-5 favorite in the morning line for her first Oaklawn appearance and first outside California in two years. Uncle Mo's daughter, whose owner, Michael Lund Petersen, raced the Baffert-trained Oaklawn winner Gamine, comes off a second in the Grace I Beholder Mile on March 9. A Grade I winner at Del Mar during a five-race win streak in which she took three Grade II races, Adare Manor goes 1 1/6 miles in the Apple Blossom.
"She came out of her race well," Baffert said. "She was freshened up and had a nice start (Beholder Mile). Unfortunately, she got beat. We thought the timing's perfect for the Apple Blossom, so we're looking forward to it."
Godolphin-owned Wet Paint, trained by Brad Cox, won the Grade I American Oaks at Saratoga in July after sweeping three Kentucky Oaks preps in Hot Springs. She comes off the bench after not starting since November, when eighth in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita. Fourth in the Kentucky Oaks, Blame's daughter was overshadowed in late season by stablemate and future champion older female Idiomatic, the Distaff winner over a field that included Adare Manor.
Wet Paint, who does her best running late, gets Flavien Prat aboard. The 4-year-old is weighted at 122 pounds, one less than Adare Manor with recent Grade III winners Honor D Lady and Bellamore at 120. She can become the first to complete the Fantasy-Apple Blossom double since trainer Neil Drysdale's Bold 'n Determined in 1980-81.
The Apple Blossom often assembles the strongest group of older females since the previous year's Distaff. Clairiere's hair-breadth victory over Secret Oath last year, matching Grade I winners, fit the mold.
That marked the third Apple Blossom winner for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen (Hall of Famer Bill Mott has a record four wins). Bellamore, the Grade III Houston Ladies Classic winner two races back and narrow last-out loser in Oaklawn's Grade II Azeri, gets Keith Asmussen, the second-leading jockey at the meet in races won .
An upward climber is 4-year-old Taxed, the Grade II Black-Eyed Susan winner last May at Pimlico for Oaklawn-baaed trainer Randy Morse. Owned by Richard Rahde, she scored a class-defining win of 3 1/2 lengths March 16 at Oaklawn over six furlongs, a foreign distance to the Collected filly. Meet leader Cristian Torres rides Taxed, who can give Morse his first local Grade I victory.
"She's been training great all winter," Morse said. "This was kind of our goal to begin with. You only get so many Grade Is to run in. So we're here, we don't have to travel. Just made sense."
Todd Fincher, fourth in the Grade II Oaklawn Handicap last year with Senor Buscador, sends out Flying Connection with eight-time local riding champion Ricardo Santana Jr. Misty Veil, the winner of the Pippin on Jan. 6, has not finished below third in four stakes at the meeting. Resolute Racing owns, and Mike Maker still trains, the Tonalist 6-year-old off a $210,000 sale at Keeneland a few days after winning the Pippin for Arkansas connections.
Freddy Mannrique renews an acquaintance with 5-year-old Free Like a Bird, a Louisiana-bred miss who has earned $1.3 million in relative obscurity. Chasey Pomier owns and trains the rail-sitter, who entered 20 days after winning a Fair Grounds stake on top of a March 8 win at Oaklawn.
Completing the field is Shotgun Hottie for Cherie DeVaux. The Gun Runner 5-year-old won the Grade III Molly Pitcher at Monmouth Park and has prepped in two local stakes. Paco Lopez makes a rare local appearance on the bay mare.
The 11th of 12 races on today's card, the Apple Blossom is set for 5:46 p.m.