Baffert Covers All The Angles Trainer Sends Five Solid Entries Into Breeders’ Cup

Trainer Bob Baffert is holding a full house of three favorites and two second choices for the Breeders’ Cup.

The early favorites for Saturday are 3-year-old filly Silverbulletday, 5-2 in the Distaff; Chilukki, 7-5 in the Juvenile Fillies; and Forest Camp, 3-1 in the Juvenile.

Second picks are 4-1 Forestry in the Sprint and 4-1 General Challenge in the featured $4 million Classic.

A total of 102 horses were entered Wednesday for the eight races worth $13 million at Gulfstream Park.

For the first time in the Breeders’ Cup 16-year history there will be a turf race for fillies and mares.

While Baffert has a hot hand, there can be no such thing as a sure thing when so many quality horses from North America and Europe get together.

Baffert would have been happier if Forest Camp and General Challenge, each of whom drew the No. 10 post, were a little farther inside.

“But things could be worse,” he said. “All my horses are healthy and doing great.”

General Challenge, who won and finished second in races against older horses in his last two starts, is one of five 3-year-olds in the 14-horse field for the 1-1/4-mile Classic.

Three of the older horses are Behrens, Almutawakel and River Keen. Behrens, the 3-1 favorite, has four wins and four seconds in eight starts this year. Almutawakel won the Dubai World Cup and River Keen won the Woodward and Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Two of the other 3-year-olds are Lemon Drop Kid, winner of the Belmont Stakes and Travers, and Ecton Park, winner of the Jim Dandy and Super Derby.

Silverbulletday, who finished second against older fillies and mares in her last start on a sloppy track, will be looking for her ninth win in 11 starts this year in the 1-1/8-mile Distaff.

Two of her rivals in the nine-horse field will be 4-year-old Beautiful Pleasure, who beat her in the Beldame, and Banshee Breeze, the 1998 3-year-old filly champion and runner-up in the Distaff.

Unbeaten Chilukki will be seeking her seventh win in the 1-1/16-mile Juvenile Fillies, her first race longer than one mile. The 3-1 second pick in the nine-horse field is Surfside, winner of three of four.

One of Forest Camp’s 13 rivals in the 1-1/16-mile Juvenile is 4-1 Dixie Union. Forest Camp, winner of two of three starts, beat Dixie Union, winner of four of five, in the seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity, then finished second to him in the Norfolk.

Forestry, winner of four straight stakes, but none shorter than seven furlongs, is second choice to 5-2 Artax in the 14-horse, six-furlong Sprint. In his last two starts, Artax won at seven and six furlongs.

Daylami, the Britain-based 5-year-old winner of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in England and the Irish Champion Stakes, is the 7-2 favorite in the 1-1/2-mile Turf. Two other contenders in the 14-horse field are Royal Anthem and Val’s Prince.

Royal Anthem has done all of his racing in England and Ireland. Val’s Prince will be seeking his third straight Grade I stakes victory in his 46th career start.

Brave Act is the 7-2 favorite over 13 rivals in the Mile on the grass.

The 7-2 favorite to win the 14-horse Filly & Mare Turf over 1-3/8 miles is Soaring Softly, winner of three of her last four starts.

The Distaff and Turf each has a $2 million purse. The other five races are worth $1 million apiece.

The eight races will be televised live by NBC.