The conditioner was at his Santa Anita barn Thursday checking on the remainder of his stable, as well as the new 2-year-olds who arrived to begin training while he was away. He plans to head back to Kentucky on Saturday.
"She ran so awesome (in the Oaks)," Baffert said of Santa Catarina. "She ran too good to be second."
Santa Catarina was beaten by 3 ΒΌ lengths by Bird Town in the Oaks as the near 6-1 third choice in the full field of fillies. The bay daughter of Unbridled had just one previous start in 2002, taking an allowance/optional claiming event in March by five lengths. Overall Santa Catarina, a $950,000 yearling purchase, has earned $450,940 from a career line of 7-2-3-1.
Baffert said that The Thoroughbred Corp.'s Atlantic Ocean, ninth in the Kentucky Oaks, has been sent to her owner's Bradbury, Calif., farm.
"She needs some time," Baffert said. "She's fine, she just needs a break."
