October 26, 2016 – Breeders’ Cup National Media Teleconference
Breeders’ Cup Preview
Guests:
- Hall of Fame Trainer Bob Baffert
- Trainer Art Sherman
- Trainer Mark Casse
- Hall of Fame Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer
- Trainer Chad Brown
Click below to listen to the Teleconference and scroll down to view the transcript (available Thursday, Oct. 27).
P R E S E N T A T I O N
Operator:
Good day, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the Breeders’ Cup Pre-Entry National Media Teleconference, featuring the Breeders’ Cup World Championships Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. Following the presentation, we will conduct a question and answer session. At that time, participants are asked to press star, one to register for a question
It is now my pleasure to introduce your host, Mr. Jim Gluckson. Please go ahead, sir.
Jim Gluckson:
Thank you, Michelle, and good day, everyone, and welcome to the 2016 Breeders’ Cup World Championships Conference Call, our 33rd Breeders’ Cup here at Santa Anita, our host for a record ninth time. With us, we will have some terrific guests on the call today: Bob Baffert, Art Sherman, Jerry Hollendorfer, Chad Brown and Mark Casse. With us today, also, to answer any questions you may have about the fields themselves, is Tom Robbins, the Chairman of the Breeders’ Cup Racing Directors and Secretaries Panel.
I think that since we do have a busy schedule, with a number of individuals, I think we should get right into our call here, and if we could, we’d like to begin by speaking with Bob Baffert. Bob Baffert, a Hall of Fame trainer who has won 12 Breeders’ Cup races, and has Arrogate and Hoppertunity in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Bob, good day. How are you?
Bob Baffert:
Oh, fine, thank you. It’s a beautiful day here at Santa Anita, things are starting to heat up around here, so I can feel the juices are starting to flow.
Jim Gluckson:
Well, we’re excited for you, as well, and everyone in the game. You have a tremendous horse in Arrogate here, and you have a situation here where you could become the first trainer to win three consecutive runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Can you comment on that?
Bob Baffert:
Well, I mean, I think it’s an honor. I can’t believe I’m blessed to be going for a third trip, and after what we went through last year with American Pharoah, I never thought—you know, it’s going to be a long time between drinks before I get a horse of that caliber, and then Arrogate comes along. This business has been really good to me and I just feel really fortunate that I have a horse that’s one of the favorites in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, so it makes it exciting. It’s great to see Juddmonte (inaudible) to get back on the dirt scene, and here they are in the forefront, so it’s pretty exciting.
Jim Gluckson:
Yesterday, he had a terrific work, reported six furlongs in 1:11 1/5. I mean, since the Travers, he’s very pleased with his progress since that time.
Bob Baffert:
Yes. You know, he came out of it in really good shape and his race in the Travers just, you know, it was pretty mind-blowing, it was pretty impressive. So, he came back, he’s been working really well. He’s the kind of horse that, you know, I never knew he had that kind of speed until we asked him to do something early like that. Most of his races, we just let him break and come along, but he’s shown us, —you can shut him off, turn him on, but he’s extremely a lot quicker than he looks. He’s a big, tall, lanky kind of horse that just covers a lot of ground, but he has a lot of speed. I think the break is going to be so crucial for him, the post position, so hopefully he gets a trip and he shows up that day, because if he can run that race, it makes him—you know, he’s going to have to run that race back to be comparative with a horse like California Chrome.
Jim Gluckson:
Right. Well, Bob, we have a number of media on the line that would like to speak with you, so let’s turn over the questions to them. Thank you.
Operator:
Thank you. If you would like to ask a question, please signal by pressing star, one on your telephone keypad. If you are using a speakerphone, please make sure your mute function is turned off to allow your signal to reach our equipment. Again, press star, one to ask a question. We’ll pause for a moment to allow everyone the opportunity to signal for questions.
Our first question comes from Debbie Arrington of Sacramento Bee. Please go ahead.
Debbie Arrington:
Hi, Bob. Thank you so much for coming on this morning. You’ve so many great horses and you’ve won the last two Breeders’ Cup Classics. Does Arrogate remind you of any of your former champions?
Bob Baffert:
You know what, they’re all—it’s hard to compare them all, because he’s totally different. He’s got that long stride, he’s a big—you know, he’s a tall, lankier type of horse, but he’s different than any horse that I’ve had, all of those good ones. It’s hard to really compare with anything, because it’s not fair to the others, but he’s totally different. He likes a mile-and-a-quarter, he needs the distance. We don’t know how good he is. What he did in the Travers—I knew he had a chance to win, I knew he would run very big in the Travers, but I didn’t know he was going to do that. But, Bejarano, he told Mike Smith going in, you know, he’s a really good horse, and we were really talking him up to Mike. I remember talking to him in the tack room a few days before the race. It’s funny, when Mike came back—after he rode him, you know, when he came back on him, he said, “Boy, you guys are right about him.” Yes, we knew he was good, but we didn’t know he was like that. So, it’s very exciting, particularly when you break a track record, and you do it at Saratoga in front of all those people (inaudible). But, you know, they have to do it. We always knew he was a really top-caliber horse, so I think this is going to be his—you know, he needs—this is his time, but he needs to step it up.
Debbie Arrington:
You’ve seen California Chrome all these years. What do you think of his season this year and what makes—just what do you think about Chrome?
Bob Baffert:
Well, I’ve always had a lot of respect for him. He was a great three-year-old, you know, had that time off, came back, and this year he is just—this is the best I’ve ever seen him. That last race, just watching him training and coming up, and watching him in the paddock, that’s the best I’ve ever seen him he is really—in peak form. You have to give a lot of credit to the Sherman camp, they’ve done a tremendous job managing him. He’s going to be really tough, he’s a really good horse. You’re always hoping, you know, that maybe he’s not as good as—you know, he’s not beating anything. Believe me, he’s as good as—what I saw, you know, watching him run, he’s been everywhere. You can only do that with a top, top horse, and he’s really good. I mean, he is the horse to beat, easily. I don’t know if we’re good enough to beat him, but I think I have a horse that can compete with him, and we won’t know that until that day.
Debbie Arrington:
Very good. Best of luck. See you at Santa Anita.
Bob Baffert:
Thank you.
Operator:
Thank you. The next question comes from Frank Angst of Blood-Horse. Please go ahead.
Frank Angst:
Hey, Bob. Could you kind of describe how the agreement with Juddmonte came together and just how excited were you to be able to train horses for them?
Bob Baffert:
Yes, I got a call from Garrett O’Rourke from Juddmonte, and so he called me and he said that the Prince wanted to get back into the—you know, they hadn’t been really involved since Bobby Frankel passed, so sort of wanted to get back into California racing, maybe (inaudible), buy some yearlings, get some dirt horses. So, it was pretty like—it was a great call, you know, because Juddmonte (inaudible). That’s why when that horse one the Travers, I felt like Bobby Frankel, you know, because he was (inaudible) all those good horses. Bobby Frankel is Juddmonte. So, when you’re part of that group, it’s like it’s an elite group to be involved with, so it was pretty—I felt pretty honored by it. Fortunately, we finally got one that was really, you know, the kind of horse he was looking for. Unfortunately, we were—he wanted to go to the Kentucky Derby, but we were a little bit late for the party, but it looks like he’s got a great horse here. So, we’re excited about it.
Frank Angst:
How many yearlings did you initially buy and have you bought any since for him?
Bob Baffert:
Yes, we bought some—I don’t know the number. We buy like maybe five or six every sale. But, he was part of the whole process. We’d pick them out and then he’d—I mean, he had to okay the pedigree. He’s really involved in this. He loves pedigrees and he said, you know, he wanted—like, he would ixnay—if he didn’t like the pedigree, he’d ixnay that. So, he’s been part of this whole (inaudible), so I have to give him a lot of credit, because he had to okay all the pedigrees.
Frank Angst:
Thanks so much.
Operator:
Thank you. The next question comes from Larry Stumes of San Francisco Chronicle. Please go ahead.
Larry Stumes:
Oh, anyway, you have these horses, California Chrome and Songbird and Tepin, and some other horses like that, and even your Lord Nelson. They all have big resumes with a lot of races, a lot of great races—and you have Hoppertunity, but also Arrogate in the Breeders’ Cup Classic had that one huge, huge race, almost like a one-time thing. How was he able to rise up and do that and how much confidence do you have that he can repeat that race or at least run close enough that he can win the Classic?
Bob Baffert:
Well, I think the reason he showed that kind of race is because—like, Bejarano, when he rode him in the little allowance races, we never really—we never really turned him loose. We never let him turn him loose completely in those races, and it was a mile and sixteen, so he really didn’t get to show his thing. He was winning in a gallop and he’d come back, he was like—didn’t even take big breath. So, I think that’s why we let him—that’s the first time he was just at full tilt, and he’s going to do the same thing. Just like in the mornings, we work him, we never let him give an all-out full work, but he’s going to get tested, he’s going to have to bring that. If he’s going to competitive with California Chrome, he has to break well, he has to be placed in the race, and there’s other horses he’s got to deal with. There’s a lot of speed horses in there, so I think the pace is going to be pretty hard. It might help a horse like Hoppertunity or like one of those other late closers, where they might be able to pick up the pace. I’ve seen that happen here. Like, that one year, Arcane won the race here, whatever, 100 to one, whatever it was, you know. But, you know, things can happen. But, I think he’s a horse that is getting better. We know he’s really good, but I think there’s—a lot of people are on the fence. Maybe it was a one-shot thing, but I don’t think it is, I think he can do it again, but he still needs—he’s need a trip, (inaudible), like all of them do, you know. I think he’s good enough. I mean, if a horse is going to beat Chrome, everybody thinks that he could be the one, but it’s going to take a huge performance to beat Chrome, because Chrome right now, he just looks—you know, he looks unbeatable right now.
Larry Stumes:
Thanks, Bob, very much.
Bob Baffert:
Thank you.
.
The next question comes from Tom Jicha of Horse Race Insider. Please go ahead.
Tom Jicha:
Yes, Bob, the consensus is that it’s a two-horse race. I mean, I know it’s not. But, do you worry that you and Chrome could get so tied up in what the other one’s doing that you could set it up for something coming from behind?
Bob Baffert:
You know what, I really—I just don’t know. Chrome is quick, he breaks well. My horse, it takes him a little while to get going. But, you know, it’s hard to—you don’t know what’s going to happen. Until the gate comes open, I mean—you know, you watch the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Take a horse like Shared Belief, you know, he broke a bit slow, (inaudible) took a spot, and then halfway down there they closed the door on him. If that happens to our horse, then we’re in trouble. You have to get the trip. If he gets shut out halfway through the first turn, the run of the first turn, it’s going to be so important, because—but Chrome, he always breaks well, he’s got tactical speed, he’s right there all the time, so he’s got an advantage over a horse like Arrogate, because Arrogate, it takes him a few steps to get going.
Tom Jicha:
Will you have a rider keeping an eye (inaudible), as I’m sure he’ll have someone keeping an eye on you?
Bob Baffert:
No, you know what, Mike Smith, he knows what he has to do, so there’s nothing really, I don’t think I can give him any instructions. All I just tell him is just, you know, get out of the gate and have a good time. I hope the horse fires My job is just to get them ready and you throw the riders up there and there’s not a whole lot you can tell them. If the horse is doing well, the horse will run his race. If he’s not doing well, it doesn’t matter who’s on him.
Jim Gluckson:
Bob, this is Jim again. Did Lord Nelson have a work today?
Bob Baffert:
Yes, he worked three-quarters, he worked really well, so he’s coming in the race. It’s a tough race, there’s a bunch of undefeated horses in there. This Breeders’ Cup, I’m telling you, you look over the field and it’s just—this is probably one of the strongest Breeders’ Cup years I’ve ever seen. I mean, every year—I mean, we’ve got the Filly & Mare Distaff,—you’ve got those good mares in there. You’ve got the Classic, the Sprint, Turf., I’ve never seen so much talent. That’s what the Breeders’ Cup was supposed to be, and so this is the year to buy a ticket, I’m telling you to be there. I’m getting calls from everybody. There’s going to be incredible racing.
Jim Gluckson:
That is a great endorsement, we appreciate it very much, and, Bob, thank you for your time today and best of luck to you.
Bob Baffert:
All right, thank you.
Jim Gluckson:
Great. Bob Baffert, everyone. Thank you very much. We’d like to now move on next—for our next guest, which will be Art Sherman, who is of course the trainer of California Chrome, undefeated this year, winner of the Dubai World Cup, and I am very happy to have him join us here. Art, good morning. It’s Jim Gluckson from the Breeders’ Cup. How are you today?
Art Sherman:
Awesome. Good morning to everybody.
Jim Gluckson:
Great. Art, a tremendous year for California Chrome, a tremendously resilient horse. Coming back as he did from Dubai, were you surprised how well he did bounce back and was so dominant here at the second half of the season?
Art Sherman:
Well, he is quite a different horse right now. He’s more mature, bigger, stronger, and you can see it in the way he’s running, he’s pretty well focused. He’s kind of awesome to watch, to be honest with you.
Jim Gluckson:
I wanted to know—we just had Bob Baffert on—about your comments on your impressions of Arrogate.
Art Sherman:
I heard from Santa Anita this morning that they call him the Chrome Buster over there at Santa Anita, so I’m waiting to see, you know, because the Chrome Buster sounds pretty good. I don’t know. I know he’s a nice three-year-old, but he’s never run against Chrome, either. He has to outrun me before he makes me a believer, I can tell you that.
Jim Gluckson:
Great. Well, Art, we have some media on the line that would like to ask you some questions about California Chrome and this year’s Breeders’ Cup. So, Michelle, please make that happen, please.
Debbie Arrington:
Well, how’s the big boy doing and does he seem to realize he’s coming up to a race?
Art Sherman:
He’s really doing very well right now, and kind of have to move up his work day till tomorrow. I heard a big storm’s coming in. I got the weather report on Friday. So, rather than have a hard, fast track, I’m going to work him tomorrow morning at three-quarters.
Debbie Arrington:
Okay. Art, we’re winding down to the end here of this incredible saga. Do you feel any sort of, you know, nostalgia, or are you getting any of those sort of like, you know, “Well, you know, we don’t know how many more mornings like this we’re going to have, or how many more workouts,” and that sort of feel?
Art Sherman:
Ah, sure, I’ll miss him a lot, you know what I mean, when he goes to stud, which won’t be too long now, you know, we’ve got a couple more races. I’d sure like to see him go out a winner. He’s done about everything a horse could do, you know. Should he win the Breeders’ Cup, it would be really a feather in his hat. It looks like a great resume for a stud going up for his first year as a sire, yes.
Debbie Arrington:
Mm-hmm, and his legacy, how do you want him to be remembered by people?
Art Sherman:
Probably one of the all-time great horses in this era, and there’s been a lot of good ones, you know, but, you know, he’s got to be in the Hall of Fame one of these days. There aren’t too many horses that’s done what he has and keeps on running at his age. So, I think the legacy is he’s just a great horse, myself.
The next question comes from Frank Angst of Blood-Horse. Please go ahead.
Frank Angst:
Looking forward to getting out there. Hey, I was curious, kind of what was your reaction when this new ownership group came aboard with Taylor Made coming in. What was kind of your initial reaction and what’s been your reaction to how they’ve performed as owners, related to you, during this season?
Art Sherman:
Ah, it’s been a great run. As you can see, this year’s been extra special for me and they’ve been onboard, you know, on all the decisions and everything has been really great. Of course, the horse has won six straight now. You know, you get kind of anxious knowing that you’re coming up to the Breeders’ Cup. I just looked at the entries, there’s 14 in there, so racing luck is going to play a big part in winning this kind of a race, so I just hope he’s up to the—you know, he’s up to the race and his top performance, (inaudible) that everybody’s going to acquire.
Art Wilson:
When Chrome breezed last, you made a reference to the fact that there’s a chance that he could race beyond the Pegasus World Cup in January. What’s your gut feeling? How much of a chance do you think we have of seeing Chrome beyond that race?
Art Sherman:
Well, you know, I think it’s going to be a factor by the end of the year and how he comes out of these races, and talk to all of the breeders that are involved with the horse, and, you know, he could run—we were talking about it—for $27 million worth of purses for next year, and how much he’s going to make he’s going to make the first year at breeding. It’s quite challenging, but he’s going to be six then and that’ll be the peak of his career, I think, being a six-year-old, and having the time that he’s running right now, it’s—it would be awesome for me. I’d love to see him around that long.
Art Wilson:
With Chrome’s style, he’d obviously go to the lead, he can lay right off the pace. How important will the post-position draw be for that mile-and-a-quarter race for him on Monday?
Art Sherman:
Well, I haven’t been the luckiest person in the post positions. The last two times, they got the one-hole, which everybody says it’s (inaudible) one-hole, but as you can see, his last two performances have been awesome, so I just—my main concern is to have a clean break and be in contention. You don’t have to be in front. If somebody wants to lead, they can have it, and I can stop them. I just think leaving the gate and having a clean break, and Victor knows him very well, so I’m not worrying about post position that much.
Geoff Riddle:
You say, “I think Chrome’s going to run a race that everybody is going to admire.” Can you just elaborate on that? Why do you think that at this stage, nine days out, and you’ve got to work him tomorrow?
Art Sherman:
Well, I just felt the way that he’s training, and I think that performance-wise, if he keeps on the way he is, you know, I really think you’re going to see Chrome at his top coming into this race. I just hope the track is in good shape, you know, that they don’t get any rain. I’d never ride him in the mud. That’s always been in the back of my mind, how he would react on an off track, but I’m not sure, to be honest with you. He’s run on every other kind of track, but not in the mud.
Geoff Riddle:
Okay. Sort of earlier you were talking about Arrogate. I mean, what do you think of him as a race horse and what do you think he’s really good at?
Art Sherman:
You mean what is his best distance or …
Geoff Riddle:
Yes, yes, I mean …
Art Sherman:
… what he’s good at?
Geoff Riddle:
Well, I mean, obviously, he’s good at winning races, but, I mean, what are you most—what do you like best about him?
Art Sherman:
Well, (inaudible), he’s very competitive, and when you’re in a race with Chrome, you’ve got to outrun him. Always, people ask me “Who are afraid of?” and I always say, “Well, why don’t you ask the other trainers who they’re afraid of?” I don’t know who’s afraid in the race. You know what, he’s just been unbelievably good this year. Until you beat him —the number one in the world, you know, so there you go.
Geoffrey Riddle:
Thanks so much, Art. Good luck.
Jim Gluckson:
All right. Art, this is Jim again. I just want to ask you about Victor’s work and performance this year aboard California Chrome, if you could comment on that.
Art Sherman:
Well, I think he’s riding him just perfect. He knows him like the back of his hand. He can go to the front, he can come from behind, and the way he’s been running now, he kind of spooks me a little bit, you know. He’s showing this speed that I can’t believe (inaudible). His race in the Pacific Classic was probably the most awesome race that I’ve seen him ever run. He just kind of galloped it, running fast, you know. (Inaudible). So, it gives goosebumps when I think about it, because I say, wow, it’s Chrome, I’ve never seen him this good.
Jim Gluckson:
Outstanding. Well, it’s a hell of a team you have and I think it’s a tribute to you and your team putting together just an outstanding career for California Chrome, and we’re looking forward very much to seeing him run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Art, thank you very much for your time this morning and have a great day.
Art Sherman:
I appreciate it, thank you.
Jim Gluckson:
A couple of other notes while we’re waiting. We have 45 winners of Breeders’ Cup Challenge Races who have been pre-entered this year. There were 81 individual Group 1 or Grade 1 winners, including the top two rated horses in the world in the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, California Chrome and Arrogate. We have 11 former defending champions participating in this year’s Breeders’ Cup. We have 38 horses pre-entered from overseas.
Jim Gluckson:
Mark Casse has joined us, having a tremendous season with Tepin and Catch a Glimpse, a number of really outstanding horses for him this year. Mark, this is Jim Gluckson here in California. How are you today?
Mark Casse:
Good, Jim. Thanks for having me.
Jim Gluckson:
Great. I’d like to talk to you about your horses here with the media and I want to just get started and comment on Tepin’s current status and her work schedule over the next few days.
Mark Casse:
She is doing great, Jim, as good as I’ve probably have ever seen her go. She’s scheduled to have a real easy breeze on Friday (inaudible). All our horses are flying to California on Monday.
Jim Gluckson:
On Monday, okay, and coming out of the First Lady, what was your reaction, overreaction to that race? A lot of people made a big deal out of what had taken place. What were your feelings?
Mark Casse:
Well, I mean, I was obviously disappointed that she got beat. I think, after analyzing the race over a period of 24 hours, I thought the race was better than it looked. We knew going in that this was going to be kind of—she was going to regress a little bit off of her previous start, and it was one of the reasons why we chose the First Lady over the Shadwell. That being said, you know, I think Photo Call really (inaudible) in the race. I don’t know that—you know, so much was sai