Officer enters Juvenile race 4-for-4

NEW YORK -- Trainer Bob Baffert hopes Officer doesn't follow Point Given's example -- at least in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Saturday at Belmont Park.

A victory by favored Officer would make him the champion 2-year-old and the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby. Point Given, who was about to achieve greatness before being retired two months ago, was beaten by a nose last year.

"It's exciting to be in position to win one of the big ones," said Baffert, who will have two other starters in the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships.

Although the $4 million Classic, the marquee event of the eight-race Breeders' Cup card, has an excellent international field, it lost some glamor when it lost Point Given. The 3-year-old was retired after winning four straight $1 million Grade 1 stakes.

Officer takes charge

Since Point Given's retirement, Officer has won the Del Mar Futurity and the Champagne on Oct. 5 at Belmont Park to become perfect in five starts.

"He seems to do everything too effortlessly," Baffert said of the son of Bertrando.

Officer was hand-ridden through the stretch while winning by 3 3/4 lengths in the Champagne at the Juvenile distance of 1 1-16 miles.

"We'll see what he's made of Saturday," Baffert said.

The trainer was not pleased by Officer's No. 2 post position in the 12-horse field.

"This is awful," he said Thursday. "You know, with Officer, we wanted to be outside where we could cruise and see what was developing. My horse has never seen horses on the outside of him. I hope it doesn't spook him."

Starting from the No. 11 post will be Came Home, unbeaten in three starts and the 5-1 early second choice behind 4-5 Officer.

"Came Home is very good," Baffert said. "They're close to the same caliber of horse. It's going to be close."

Officer, to be ridden by Victor Espinoza, is owned by Prince Ahmed Salman of Saudi Arabia, also the owner of Point Given.

Came Home, ridden by Chris McCarron, has not raced since winning the seven-furlong Hopeful on Sept. 1 at Saratoga. He was supposed to run in the one-mile Norfolk on Sept. 29 at Santa Anita, but didn't because he missed three days of training with a bruised foot.

Paco Gonzalez trains Came Home for Trudy McCaffery and John Toffan.

Two other top contenders in the $1 million Juvenile are Siphonic and Johannesburg.

John and Jerome Amerman's Siphonic has won both starts, including the 1 1-16-mile Breeders' Futurity on Oct. 6 at Keeneland.

Johannesburg, owned by Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor, has won all six starts, five of them in stakes, in England and Ireland. But he's never raced on dirt and never gone beyond six furlongs.

"Any time a horse wins six in a row he's pretty good." Baffert said.

Baffert's other two starters are Habibti in the 1 1-16-mile Juvenile Fillies and El Corredor in the six-furlong Sprint.

The favorite in the Sprint is Kona Gold, last year's winner. Aptitude is the Classic favorite.

The other races are the Distaff, Mile, Filly & Mare Turf and Turf.