Kaleem Shah's Bayern (Offlee Wild) adds to the GI Kentucky Derby day hype by making his highly anticipated 4-year-old debut in the seven-furlong GII Churchill Downs S. The Bob Baffert pupil ran the field off their feet with a dazzling 7 1/2-length romp in the GII Woody Stephens S. June 7, and put all distance questions to rest when capturing Monmouth Park's 1 1/8-mile GI Haskell Invitational S. by a similar margin July 27. Finishing a head-scratching 10th as the chalk in Saratoga's GI Travers S. Aug. 23, the 'TDN Rising Star' returned to his winning ways with a decisive victory in the GII Pennsylvania Derby Sept. 20 and closed out his sophomore season with a controversial victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in Arcadia Nov. 1. The dark bay was originally being considered for Friday's 1 1/16-mile GII Alysheba S. before landing in this spot.
Good Friends Stable's Private Zone (Macho Uno) successfully defended his title in Belmont's GI Vosburgh Invitational S. last September in just his second start of the year. A respectable third in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint Nov. 1, the bay gelding went box-to-wire to take Aqueduct's GI Cigar Mile Nov. 29 for previous trainer Alfredo Velazquez. Transferred to Jorge Navarro, the 6-year-old missed by just a half-length when overtaken by 'TDN Rising Star' Honor Code (A.P. Indy) last time in the one-mile GII Gulfstream Park H. Mar. 7.
This year's renewal appears to be a match race between Bayern and Private Zone, but one who could make some noise at a price is George and Lori Hall's Pants on Fire (Jump Start). Third in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Oct. 31, the Kelly Breen trainee filled that spot again behind 'TDN Rising Star' Liam's Map (Unbridled's Song) and MGSW Valid (Medaglia d'Oro) in Gulfstream's Harlan's Holiday S. Dec. 13, and won that venue's Sir Shackleton S. last time Mar. 28.
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