PRESSURE RISES FOR BAFFERT, SILVER CHARM; LOSS IN SAN FERNANDO COULD HURT REPUTATIONS.

Byline: KEVIN MODESTI Horse Racing 

A couple of things have changed since opening day at Santa Anita, when Bob Baffert saddled Silver Charm for the Malibu Stakes, the colt's first race in six months.

Baffert has been voted the outstanding North American trainer of 1997. Silver Charm has been voted the 3-year-old champion.

So now there are reputations to live up to.

The Malibu, despite the excitement generated by the Kentucky Derby winner's appearance, was a race Silver Charm didn't really have to win. The long layoff gave him a prerace excuse, and the traffic that blocked his path on the turn gave him a postrace excuse for finishing second to 9-1 Lord Grillo.

But the $300,000 San Fernando Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday brings a little more pressure.

A defeat would be Silver Charm's second in a row. Actually, his third in a row, counting his near-miss in the Belmont Stakes in June. A defeat, particularly if Lord Grillo wins again, might cost the popular gray horse a little of his reputation.

Which might be why Baffert isn't letting go of his built-in excuse just yet.

``He's still soft. He doesn't have the veins popping out,'' the trainer said at his Santa Anita barn Thursday morning, shortly after Silver Charm drew post 1 in a seven-horse field for the 1 1/16-mile San Fernando. ``He still has fat on his (hindquarters).

``Each race is going to set him up for the next one.''

Next, after the San Fernando, is the Feb. 7 Strub Stakes, the $500,000 finale of the series for 4-year-olds. Then, the March 7 Santa Anita Handicap, the $1 million race that would test Silver Charm against older horses for the first time.

As Baffert sees it, everything before the Big 'Cap is just a prep race. And the pressure will never be the same as he felt during the Triple Crown.

``When you come from quarterhorses (as Baffert did), there's pressure running in those futurity trials, because you have to do it (when the horses are) 2-year-olds.''

Similarly, he said, ``Getting (Silver Charm) ready for the Derby, that was pressure, because it was a one-shot deal.''

But since Silver Charm won the Derby and Preakness, ``it's fun, it's gravy.''

``I don't worry about getting a horse beat. That's probably why I've done so well,'' Baffert said. ``We (trainers) lose a lot more than we win. I just get 'em ready to run. If they get beat, they get beat.

``Otherwise, I'd be worried sick, I'd never run 'em.''

Of Silver Charm's Malibu opponents, three will run again in the Malibu: Lord Grillo, Mud Route (fourth) and Trafalger (eighth).

Lord Grillo and jockey Eddie Delahoussaye rallied from eighth to win the 7-furlong Malibu, and trainer Mike Puype is confident the extra distance of the San Fernando won't hurt.

``I think he's going to be at his best going two turns,'' Puype said. ``I think he's going to be a very good router.''

If the San Fernando is pivotal for any horse, it's Mud Route. The Ron McAnally-trained colt was a Derby candidate at this time last year, but a shin injury ended his bid and he has run out of the money in two starts since.

``The Malibu was a little short for him,'' McAnally said. ``This may be more of his game now, going a mile and a 16th. He has to prove himself this time.''

The San Fernando field from the rail out: Silver Charm, Gary Stevens riding, 122 pounds; Pomona Derby winner Steel Ruhlr, Brice Blanc, 118; Las Barrera Handicap winner Kukulcan, Alex Solis, 118; California-bred Ready Eddie, Kent Desormeaux, 116; Silver Charm entrymate Trafalger, David Flores, 116; Mud Route, Chris McCarron, 116; and Lord Grillo, 120.

If Silver Charm loses, it's too early for Baffert and owners Robert and Beverly Lewis to panic. In 1997, 4-year-old Skip Away lost his first four races, and ended up winning the Eclipse Award as the champion older horse.

A WEEK AT THE RACES 

Santa Anita standings: Jockeys: Kent Desormeaux, 15 winners; Gary Stevens, 14; Corey Nakatani, 13; Alex Solis, 11; Eddie Delahoussaye, 9. Trainers: Bob Baffert, 8; Craig Dollase, Richard Mandella, Ron McAnally and Cliff Sise, 5.

Handicapper helper: Post position 1 is proving to be a disadvantage in both sprints and routes on the Santa Anita main track. Post 1 has produced 10 winners in 116 races; post 2, by contrast, has produced 23 winners.

Upcoming: At Santa Anita: $300,000 San Fernando Stakes for 4-year-olds, 1-1/16 miles, and $150,000 San Gorgonio Handicap for fillies and mares, 1-1/8 on turf, Saturday; $150,000 El Encino for 4-year-old fillies, 1 1/16, and $100,000 Sensational Star Handicap, 6-1/2 furlongs on turf, Sunday; $150,000 San Marcos Handicap, 1-1/4 on turf, Monday. At Gulfstream Park: $100,000 Holy Bull for 3-year-olds, 1 1/16, Saturday. At Golden Gate Fields: $200,000 Golden Gate Derby for 3-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles, Sunday.

Mileposts: Pick-six carryover at Santa Anita today: $253,546. . . . It's beginning to look a lot like the Derby-prep season: The Golden Gate Derby is expected to include Real Quiet, the Baffert-trained Hollywood Futurity winner, ridden by Kent Desormeaux. The Holy Bull is expected to have Sweetsouthernsaint and D. Wayne Lukas-trained Cape Town. . . . A bit mysteriously, the new trainer of Favorite Trick said the unbeaten 2-year-old champion won't make his 1998 debut until March 14 at Gulfstream Park, and not in the Florida Derby but in the shorter Swale Stakes. Bill Mott, who took over the Joseph LaCombe-owned colt after Patrick Byrne became private trainer for Frank Stronach, said he isn't injured but is out of condition. This would give Favorite Trick time for just two starts before the May 2 Kentucky Derby. . . . Touch Gold, Awesome Again and other Stronach-owned horses are expected to move from David Hofmans to Byrne. . . . Thoroughbred Owners of California surveyed its members and found that 42 percent believe racing is ``on the wrong track,'' and most think the state took too much in parimutuel fees and taxes. . . . Goncalino Almeida, who broke four ribs Dec. 30, is scheduled to resume riding Saturday at Santa Anita. . . . Churchill Downs is fine-tuning its silly plan to have Kentucky Derby post positions selected by the horses' handlers - in an order determined by lot. Each horse's handlers will have one minute to make a selection - or longer if there's a TV commercial. The nation will be glued to the set. . . . Golden Gate Fields jockey Chad Schvaneveldt was suspended for 180 days starting Dec. 5 after testing positive for cocaine. . . . Gentlemen, not Eclipse Award-winning older horse Skip Away, is the top-ranked U.S. horse in the International Classifications of 1997. Tops in the world was 3-year-old Pientre Celebre. The rankings were produced by an international panel of handicappers. . . . Harness driver Mike Lachance posted his 8,000th victory Tuesday at the Meadowlands. Herve Filion is the harness record-holder with 14,783. . . . Trainer Jenine Sahadi turns 35 and jockey Brice Blanc turns 25 today.

- Kevin Modesti

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Box: A WEEK AT THE RACES (See Text)