Baffert's Gamine Wins Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint

Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published November 08, 2020 | 12:20 AM

Los Angeles, Nov 7 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Nov, 2020 ) :Gamine gave trainer Bob Baffert a first victory of the 2020 Breeders' Cup Saturday, roaring to a 6 1/2-length victory in the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky.

Known as a front-runner, the speedy Gamine came from just off the blistering pace set by Serengeti Empress, surging to the front at the top of the stretch under John Velazquez and pulling away for the victory.

It was a 16th Breeders' Cup victory for Baffert and 17th for Velazquez, but the first in the Filly & Mare Sprint for both.

Serengeti Empress, trained by Thomas Amoss and ridden by Luis Saez, held on to take second over Bell's the One.

"That's the baddest bitch in the land right there!" Baffert said. "I knew (Serengeti Empress) was going to go and I told Johnny if you get separation to get to the outside. She is doing as well as she did when she won the Acorn.

"She is just brilliant. She is the fastest filly going one turn I've ever trained.

I wanted it bad for her. What she's gone through, she deserved it," Baffert added.

Two-time Triple Crown winning trainer Baffert has come under scrutiny this year after having four horses produce positive tests for banned or regulated substances.

Gamine was among them, testing positive after running at Oaklawn Park in May and after September's Kentucky Oaks, when she had an elevated level of a corticosteroid used legally as an anti-inflammatory.

"The headlines don't sound well, but when you get to the facts, they were contamination, one was an overage," said Baffert, who released a statement on the eve of the Breeders' Cup outlining measures he would take to prevent similar incidents in the future.

"I always thought I ran a tight ship, I have to run a tighter ship," he said. "We run it like a barn and we have to run it more like a hospital and that's the new norm now.

"I'm just happy that she showed what a wonderful filly she is and there was no doubt today."