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Columnist: Baffert a Master at Manipulating Media

Don't pay much attention to anything trainer Bob Baffert has said in regard to Saturday's Belmont.

I see where he was at it again Wednesday after they drew for post positions.

I've known Baffert for quite some time. He's a master at manipulating the media.

The reason Baffert entered Danthebluegrassman in the Kentucky Derby at the last minute was calculated. He wanted to keep the also-eligibles from drawing in. To be specific he wanted to keep Barry Irwin and Team Valor's colt outside looking in.

Irwin and I go back a long ways. He's the top man in Team Valor's operation. Irwin wrote several articles in a well-known trade publication. Baffert assumed some of Irwin's comments were targeting him. Barry used to write for the Daily Racing Form. Funny thing about that assumption. Baffert is probably right.

For years I was an investigative reporter. I covered the illegal drug use in the world of horse racing and made a lot of people uneasy. I'm sure Baffert was not comfortable with what ever Irwin penned in that publication. When you write about unpopular subject matter you are going to make people mad. That apparently brought about Baffert's last second entry into the Derby, a colt whom he scratched before the race.

Funny thing about my years covering illegal drug use. One thing is consistent. The drug of choice would be used until officials finally found some kind of a test for it. The cheaters? They moved on to the next designer drug. They're talking about Epogen in the papers this week. We were writing about Epogen years ago.

I can't tell you how many people are rooting against Baffert and War Emblem on Saturday. A lot of New Yorkers are going to express their sentiments when the owner of War Emblem shows with his bodyguards. Baffert is right about one thing. When you're are on top there's a lot of jealousy out there. The memory of 9-11 lingers. Let's hope nothing radical happens Saturday.

It's hard to believe there are so many gullible writers out there willing to take Broadway Bob at his word. I learned the hard way. We don't pay any attention to what Broadway Bob says before or after a race.

Good trainers don't tell you much. I worked for a number of well known trainers. For most part they didn't share their innermost training secrets. And when you think about it, that makes a lot of common sense.

Broadway Bob isn't going to tell us anything he doesn't us you to know.

When Larry The Legend was the talk of the racetrack at Santa Anita Park out in California some time back, I had an insider feeding me real story. Trainer Craig Lewis was telling the press one thing. I was writing something else. In the end we had it right. Those who bought the gobble gook from Lewis did not look so hot when it was all said and done.

Pardon me if I stand on different ground. You hear the applause almost daily for Patrick Valenzuela who currently is leading rider at Hollywood Park. When Pat had been accused of hijacking that cab driver in Arcadia, Ca., I was trying everything in my power to get in touch with him.

At that time I was a struggling jockey agent. We were willing to pull out all stops to work for Pat V. I went so far as to use a Santa Anita gateman. The gateman I knew was good friends with Valenzuela. We thought we could set up a meeting with Pat.

Valenzuela didn't even have the courtesy to return any of my telephone calls.

Has Pat been given too many chances? You bet he has. He should have been banned for life.

We don't really care to hear how good Pat's doing these days. His sweet-talking make me wince.

What it would take for Pat to get back in our good graces? If he were ever to ask I'd suggest he'd begin doing some work with down and out addicts. It would look genuine if Valenzuela were to sponsor several projects. I'm not just talking about coming up with some significant cash.

Don Murray and the folks at Winners' Foundation are probably pounding their chests now that Pat is back riding again. That's fine, but what in the hell has Patrick done to help others in the community who are battling similar demons?

Don't hold your breath for Patrick to do something. He's back on the racetrack and doing well. Everything else has been swept under the rug.

Pat Valenzuela? He's got a lot more to prove. I'm willing to wager you won't see him do one thing for others who have alcohol, drug and gambling problems like he does.

Speaking of the good, the bad and the ugly. How many years has it been now that we've been writing about what a jerk Corey Nakatani is? Just in case you haven't been paying attention. Nakatani's winter at Santa Anita was poor by normal standards. I guess the lost winter season shouldn't come as any surprise.

Corey's never ever learned you've got to work hard at your trade if you really are serious about improving. His work ethics are on the golf course.

NOTES SCRIBBLING ACROSS MY RACEBOOK SHEETS---Proud Citizen is the colt to beat in the Belmont. Don't think for one moment D. Wayne Lukas isn't going to pull all stops to make sure his colt Proud Citizen gets his best chance. In the Preakness Proud Citizen went out after the start.

He was wide and losing ground all the way and figured to hang a bit. If the race doesn't cause him to bounce he's the colt to beat……..T.D. Haughton is one of the more aggressive riders you will find on a small racetrack. He just notched his 3,000th winner the other day at Great Lakes Downs………..When are the producers of TVG going to get off their butts? They run the same old tired promos for TVG. If they truly want to be the station for the horseplayer they are going to have to do a better job of filling airtime when they go back to the studio. Pretty faces don't get it………..When you visit Las Vegas there's a must stop when you are hungry. Try one of the Capriotti sandwich shops. Their Cheesesteak sandwich is superb. Ditto for their turkey sandwich complete with dressing and cranberries……….The free handicapping contest down at the Plaza on Thursday is proving very popular. It involves the last five races at Hollywood Park………The new racebook at Arizona Charlie's out on Boulder Highway is very small…………One of the nicest books on the strip is at Bally's where John Avello holds court.

Future book wagering? It has disappeared from view. The numbers guys like Avello and others hang up in this town simply are not fair. When a book gets a small bang of bucks they drop their odds due to "exposure."

If someone in this town ever decides to offer a fair bunch of numbers in a future book on the Kentucky Derby they could make a lot of money. There are far too many books in this town copying what Avello hangs up at Bally's. Nobody is willing to stand on their own two feet and hang their own future book numbers…..It continues to amaze us. Every Friday night when they race at Hollywood Park nobody mentions the biggest handicapping factor of all. Horses with no prior experience racing under the lights don't fare as well. We also have a theory that horses drawn inside have an edge. The reasoning is they can see the white inside rail. The vision of horses is not all that great and when they can see where they are going it has to be an edge.

Warren Eves covers horse racing and contributes to RGT Online throughout the year.

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