FAST WORKOUT BAD WAR EMBLEM MAY NOT RUN RACE SUNDAY.

Byline: Kevin Modesti Staff Writer

Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem ran into trouble during a key workout Tuesday morning at Del Mar, putting his scheduled start Sunday in the $1 million Pacific Classic in slight jeopardy.

With exercise rider Dana Barnes aboard, War Emblem became agitated when a horse from another barn got in his way near the rail, causing the 3-year-old to speed through the early furlongs of the workout, trainer Bob Baffert said in a telephone conference call with turf writers.

``She got him under control after about a half-mile and he kind of cruised the rest of the way, but he went a little faster than we wanted,'' Baffert said. ``Normally, he goes out easy and comes home strong.''

The 5-furlong workout was clocked in a sensational 57.60 seconds.

``It wasn't like it knocked him out or anything,'' Baffert said about an hour after the incident. ``He looks good right now. ... We're just going to monitor him in the next couple of days and see how he comes out of it.''

Generally, a trainer would rather see a horse work too slowly than too quickly. After a slow work, the horse could be short of full fitness for the race's stretch run, but after a fast work, he could be exhausted in the starting gate.

``If he comes out of this work great, we're going (in the Pacific Classic),'' Baffert said. ``There's always that outside chance I'll change my mind.''

War Emblem would head the strongest field in the Pacific Classic's dozen runnings and would be tested by older horses for the first time in his career, as well as facing Hollywood Gold Cup winner Sky Jack's early speed.

Among the big names expected to be entered on Thursday for the 1 1/4-mile race on the main track are five of the top 10 horses in an international panel's ``world rankings'' of prospects for the Oct. 26 Breeders' Cup Classic at Arlington Park: War Emblem (No. 2 behind Street Cry), Sky Jack (No. 4), Came Home and Milwaukee Brew (tied for No. 5), and Momentum (No. 10).

Baffert and Richard Mulhall - who has been in charge of the Thoroughbred Corp. stable since owner Prince Ahmed Salman of Saudi Arabia died July 22 - picked the Pacific Classic over a softer spot in Saturday's $1 million Travers Stakes for 3-year-olds at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York. Baffert said they wanted to avoid shipping War Emblem coast to coast for the second time in a month.

War Emblem won the Aug. 4 Haskell at Monmouth (N.J.) Park in his first race since the Belmont Stakes defeat that cost him the Triple Crown.

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

War Emblem, with exercise rider Larry Damore, might not race in the $1 million Pacific Classic on Sunday after having a fast workout.

Benoit Photo/Associated Press