He’s won many of the biggest races in the world over and over again. The Derby, the Preakness, the Belmont, the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He’s won Grade 1 races multiple times in no less than nine states and has four victories in the Dubai World Cup.
The California-based trainer may not show up at Parx Racing in Bensalem, but Baffert is sending out the 3-1 favorite on Saturday in a field of 11, with Juan Hernandez in the irons leaving from the outside post in the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds.
Despite an unpreferred post, Baffert took the high road after the post-position draw on Monday: “It means lucky 11. I was hoping to get in the middle somewhere, but you can’t change it. He’s still going.”
Reincarnate ships in from Santa Anita after posting a 6-furlong workout in 1:12.40 on Sept. 16. The gray son of Good Magic won the 1 1/8-mile Los Alamitos Derby on July 8 going gate-to-wire in his first race since running 13th in the 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 6. The Derby is the only race in nine career starts in which Reincarnate did not finish in the top 3.
The $1 million Cotillion (G1) for 3-year-old fillies is the co-feature on a 14-race card that includes the $400,000 Gallant Bob (G2) for 3-year-olds at 6 furlongs; and three other listed stakes races. Post time for the Pennsylvania Derby is 6:10 p.m. ET.
Saudi Crown, trained by Brad Cox, is the 7-2 second choice in Saturday’s Pennsylvania Derby, coming into the race of a gutty runner-up finish to Forte in the Jim Dandy (G2) at Saratoga on July 29. Magic Tap, a lightly-raced son of Tapit, is the 5-1 third choice in his stakes debut for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.
“This race is going to be a good step up for him,” Baffert said of Reincarnate. “He ran really well at Los Alamitos. He is going to have to break well and show up. That’s the main thing. If he shows up, I don’t see why he wouldn’t run well.”
Also in the field: Scotland, sixth in the Travers (G1); Il Miracolo, Smarty Jones (G3) winner on Aug. 22 at Parx; and Dreamlike, maiden winner on July 14 and fifth in the allowance on Aug. 13, both at Saratoga.
The Cotillion drew a field of nine, led by 2-1 favorite Pretty Mischevious, looking for a fourth straight G1 win – the others came in the Kentucky Oaks, the Acorn, and the Test.
The Pennsylvania Derby picks: 1 Reincarnate, 2 Scotland, 3 West Coast Cowboy
The Cotillion picks: 1 Pretty Mischievous, 2 Ceiling Crusher, 3 Occult
The field for the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1), from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds:
- Modern Era (Patrick Henry Jr., Uriah St. Louis), 50-1
- Dreamlike (Irad Ortiz Jr., Todd Pletcher), 10-1
- Saudi Crown (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox), 7-2
- Magic Tap (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen), 5-1
- Scotland (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott), 6-1
- Daydreaming Boy (Dexter Haddock, Louis Linder), 12-1
- West Coast Cowboy (Tyler Conner, Saffie Joseph, Jr.), 12-1
- Gilmore (John Velazquez, Brendan Walsh), 10-1
- Crupi (TBA, Todd Pletcher), 15-1
- Il Miracolo (TBA, Antonio Sano), 8-1
- Reincarnate (Juan Hernandez, Bob Baffert), 3-1