Time for Bayern to Be 'Awesome, Again'

Pick the crayon of your choice. No matter how you want to color it, the 2015 season has been a disappointing one for Bayern (Offlee Wild), but Kaleem Shah's runner has one final chance to earn a shot at defending his title in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in Saturday's GI Awesome Again S. at Santa Anita.

Allowed to retain last year's Classic after the much-publicized incident at the gate, the dark bay was kept around one turn for his first two starts of this season, but he could manage only a subpar sixth behind Private Zone (Macho Uno) as the 4-5 favorite in the GII Churchill Downs S. May 2 and, with a two-turn option available a week later, a last-of-10 effort to Honor Code (A.P. Indy) in the GI Met Mile June 6. The argument could be made that he didn't look quite at home over the newly installed Del Mar dirt this summer, when was an excuse-free third to Catch a Flight (Arg) (Giant's Causeway) in the GII San Diego H. July 25 and a casualty of a swift early pace when ninth to Beholder (Henny Hughes) in the GI TVG Pacific Classic Aug. 22. He returns to the scene of his Classic triumph for the first time this season and it'll be pedal to the metal.

“He's a fast horse,” said trainer Bob Baffert, a four-time winner of the race formerly contested as the Goodwood. “He just has to get out there and go. This will have to be a big race for him. He needs to show he's back.”

Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday) is the other Baffert and is out to snap a five-race skid in the Awesome Again. Last year's GI Clark H. hero followed up with a victory in the GII San Pasqual S. and missed by a nose to Hard Aces (Hard Spun) in the June 27 GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita. Just behind Bayern when fourth in the San Diego, Hoppertunity completed the superfecta last time out in the Pacific Classic.

If the lightly raced Smooth Roller (Hard Spun) can somehow manage to keep Bayern at least honest up front, Sammy Mandeville (Rock Hard Ten) can pick up some of the pieces late. The bay flashed home to be beaten 3/4 of a length in second by Catch a Flight in the GIII Precisionist S. here May 2, but was pace-compromised when fifth in the GII Californian S. May 30 and sixth in the San Diego. He cut back in distance for the GIII Longacres Mile H. Aug. 16 and outfinished all but local hero Stryker Phd (Bertrando) after lagging well behind fast early fractions.