BLESSING AND LUTE BAFFERT'S BEST SHOTS TRAINER SEARCHING FOR 4TH BREEDERS' CUP WIN.

Byline: ART WILSON

Staff Writer

Bob Baffert, accustomed to performing on the big stage, will have four chances to pad his Breeders' Cup win total Saturday when he saddles four horses in the World Thoroughbred Championships at Monmouth Park.

The 54-year-old Baffert entered Indian Blessing and Cry and Catch Me in the Juvenile Fillies, Midnight Lute in the Sprint and Tough Tiz's Sis in the Distaff on Tuesday as post positions were drawn for Breeders' Cup XXIV, which will be a two-day event for the first time.

Three new $1 million races -- the Filly & Mare Sprint, Juvenile Turf and Dirt Mile -- will be run Friday and the eight traditional Breeders' Cup races will be contested Saturday, including a $5 million Classic that has drawn one of the strongest fields in its history.

Midnight Lute, four for nine lifetime and coming off a powerful victory in the Grade I Forego Handicap at Saratoga on Sept. 1, and Indian Blessing would appear to give Baffert his best shots at a fourth Breeders' Cup victory.

Both horses will be ridden by Garrett Gomez, who has mounts in nine of the 11 Breeders' Cup races.

Midnight Lute, a 4-year-old son of Real Quiet, drew the No. 2 post in the 11-horse Sprint and is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in a race that also includes Southland standouts Greg's Gold, Idiot Proof and Bordonaro.

"The post does not make much difference for Midnight Lute," Baffert said. "He's surrounded by really fast horses and will have to get lucky turning for home."

Indian Blessing, the tepid 3-1 morning-line choice in the Juvenile Fillies, comes in off a 41/2-length victory in the Grade I Frizette at Belmont Park on Oct. 6 and is unbeaten in two starts. The daughter of Indian Charlie drew the No. 4 post in the field of 14.

Cry and Catch Me, a winner of the Grade I Oak Leaf Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 29, will start from post 13 and retains the services of jockey Mike Smith. The Street Cry filly is 6-1 on the morning line.

"Four is a good post for Indian Blessing, but I would have rather seen Cry and Catch Me a little closer in five, six, seven or eight," Baffert said. "But they're both doing well; that's the main thing."

Tough Tiz's Sis is Baffert's lone long shot at 20-1, despite the fact she won the Grade I Lady's Secret at Oak Tree in her past start Oct. 7. Smith gets the mount after Victor Espinoza opted to ride Balance in the 11/8-mile race.

"I try not to worry too much about the posts," Baffert said. "Good horses can overcome a lot of things."

The Classic drew a star-studded field of nine, including the top older horse in training, Lawyer Ron, and five talented 3-year-olds in Street Sense, Curlin, Any Given Saturday, Hard Spun and Tiago.

Lawyer Ron, trained by Todd Pletcher, will be ridden by John Velazquez and comes in off a neck loss to Curlin in the Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on Sept. 30.

The 4-year-old Langfuhr colt, 12of 25 lifetime, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite despite the fact he drew the rail and is winless in three tries at Saturday's 11/4-mile distance.

Smith retains the mount on 12-1long shot Tiago, who drew the No. 9 outside post.

"It doesn't matter with him," trainer John Shirreffs said. "He's going to drop back and come running anyway, so it's OK."

Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, No. 2 post, is the co-second choice at 3-1 along with Preakness winner Curlin, who will start from the fourth spot.

"I would like to switch with Larry Jones (Hard Spun's trainer) and have the eight," said Carl Nafzger, Street Sense's trainer. "That's a great spot for him. The two just means you have to run a little more early to get position."

Nashoba's Key, who will put her 7-0 record on the line in the Filly & Mare Turf against 11 others, drew the three hole and is the 3-1 morning-line choice.

The 4-year-old filly's connections -- trainer Carla Gaines and 17-year-old jockey Joe Talamo -- are both Breeders' Cup rookies.

Talamo will also ride Lewis Michael in Friday's Dirt Mile in an attempt to become the youngest rider to win a Breeders' Cup race.

Gaines was pleased with her filly's post position.

"It's very suitable for a mile and three-eighths," she said. "It's not way on the outside so she should be able to save ground.

"I think she will be placed forwardly with her natural speed going long. She should be sitting just off the pace."

The heaviest morning-line favorite is European invader Dylan Thomas, listed at 7-5 in the 11/2-mile Turf.

Dylan Thomas, a 4-year-old Danehill colt who has won five of eight this year and is coming off a victory in the prestigious Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in France, drew the No. 7 post in the eight-horse field and will be ridden by Johnny Murtagh.

Pletcher, a three-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer who will also saddle Any Given Saturday in the Classic, will have 11 starters this year after blanking with 17 horses in 2006 at Churchill Downs.

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