Baffert will 'back off' High Velocity; return in San Vicente possible

While High Velocity set the pace before fading to third, some five lengths behind a dueling pair of leaders in last Saturday’s Los Alamitos Futurity, trainer Bob Baffert doesn’t necessarily see that as the end of the colt’s run down the 2020 Kentucky Derby trail.

“Now he has two-turn experience,” Baffert said, “and it’s hard to get two-turn experience, especially here in California — because once you break your maiden it’s stakes here. There are no allowance races.”

Baffert said that now, “at least I can back off” High Velocity, who runs for owners Gary and Mary West. Their racing manager and agent, Ben Glass, went to $350,000 to purchase the colt as a yearling.

Glass expressed surprise that High Velocity, as big a horse as he is, was able to win his Oct. 13 debut at 5 1/2 furlongs. From there, he won going 7/8 of a mile in Del Mar’s Nov. 16 Bob Hope Stakes (G3).

In the Futurity, at 1 1/16 miles, the son of Quality Road came up a bit short after opening in fractions of 22.47 seconds for the quarter mile and 45.87 for the half. Throughout, he took pressure from Baffert stablemate (and eventual winner) Thousand Words; Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up Anneau d’Or rallied wide to capture second.

“I shipped them all over the day of,” Baffert said, with his barn based at Santa Anita Park, “and High Velocity didn’t handle the paddock too well. He came in and was all worked up already. But you know, he was coming back in 17 days, and I think he got a little racy shipping back and forth.”

Before stretching back to a route distance, Baffert will consider bringing High Velocity off the bench in the Feb. 9 San Vicente Stakes (G2) at seven furlongs. That race does not award Derby qualifying points but could set the colt up for a longer spring target that does.

HRN's West Coast Editor, Victor Ryan, contributed to this report.