Baffert hopes Can the Man can deliver 12th Del Mar Futurity

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert's record 11 wins in the Del Mar Futurity

have been achieved in bunches. He strung together seven in a row from Silver

Charm in 1996 to Icecoldbeeratreds in 2002. Next came back-to-back wins with

Midshipman and Lookin at Lucky in 2008-09.

Wednesday, Baffert will saddle Can the Man in the Grade 1,

$300,000 traditional closing-day feature hoping to extend a streak started by

Drill in 2011 and continued by Rolling Fog last year.

Baffert submitted 28 names for the Futurity before the June 7 close of

nominations. But Can the Man will be his only representative in the field of 11

for the seven-furlong test which determines the juvenile champion of the

meeting.

"I knew coming into the meeting that I was a little ahead (in readiness) for

my fillies and a little behind in my colts," Baffert said Monday.

So it's down to Can the Man, a Kentucky-bred son of Into Mischief who was

purchased for $320,000 at the Barretts sale in May for Kaleem Shah. Can the Man

is named for the longtime pet name of Baffert's son Canyon, who works out of the

Virginia headquarters of Shah's CalNet security firm which has a branch in San

Diego.

Can the Man made his racing debut on August 17, winning by 1 1/2 lengths over

5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03 4/5 under Martin Garcia.

"He's a nice little horse and he's fast," Baffert said. "We drew the number 2

hole, and I'd have liked to have had a little better post position -- a little

further outside, so he could use his speed more.

"Sometimes when you have a speed horse going from 5 1/2 to 7 (furlongs) it's

tough on them when they get pressured. There are horses in there that are

getting better and better."

Trainer Jeff Bonde has a chance of turning the Del Mar Debutante/Futurity

double.

Following up the Saturday victory by She's a Tiger in the Debutante with one

Wednesday in the Futurity by Skydreamin would be "utopia," Bonde said Monday.

And while Skydreamin is 15-1 on the morning line and has the generally

undesired number 1 post position, Bonde is the only one with a chance to join a

group accomplishing the feat, since the late 1980s, comprised only of Hall of

Famers.

The names: Baffert, Richard Mandella, Ron McAnally and D. Wayne Lukas.

Baffert has done it four times, most recently last year; Mandella (2003) and

McAnally (1994) once each and Lukas three times. Twice, Lukas won the Debutante

and Futurity with the same horse, Althea in 1983 and Lost Kitty in 1987.

As for Skydreamin, "He's as big as a buffalo," Bonde said.

"He won two stakes up north (Lost in the Fog at Golden Gate and Everett Nevin

at Pleasanton). The first time he did everything wrong and still won. The second

time he was a model citizen and ran a big one.

"The other day (last of six in the Best Pal) he was hollering and screaming

at the pony going to the gate, and through the whole race. They were running and

he was screaming.

"He came back and worked (six furlongs in 1:12 3/5) from the gate without a

sound. We've checked him out and there's nothing wrong with him. So we'll see

what happens."

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