Baffert Could Enter Quartet in San Felipe

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(from Santa Anita notes)
Trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday that he could enter as many as four horses in the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe Stakes (gr. II) Saturday at Santa Anita.

The San Felipe is Southern California's final major prep for the April 8 Santa Anita Derby (gr. I).

Baffert is expected to have the San Felipe favorite in Sham Stakes (gr. III) victor Bob and John, owned by Stonerside Stable. In addition, he said he also could enter three maiden winners – Beverly Lewis' Point of Impact and Point Determined and B. Wayne Hughes' Sky Diving, who was scratched from Saturday's California Derby at Golden Gate Fields.

"I need the race for them," Baffert said, "because an allowance race I wanted to go in didn't fill."

He said he has his eye on qualifying all four for the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).

"I was going to run them one more time and then go for a big one (for graded earnings)," Baffert noted. "I did that with Congaree (winner of the Wood in 2001) to try and get some experience into him. I can get the graded earnings in their last prep. If they don't get it then, they're not going to get (to the Derby). You've got to punch your ticket in that last race going a mile and an eighth."

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