Stevens savors banner day; Baffert delighted with Paynter

"They were tough beats but I was able to shake them off and say, 'Well, I've

got four more really good chances here, and being able to pull it off was a

pretty good feeling."

Hard to speculate that Beholder and Mucho Macho Man could run any better than

they did Saturday, but Stevens said he thinks they, too, will benefit.

Despite his wondrous day on the race track, the best was yet to come for

Stevens Saturday.

"I didn't sleep at all last night, to be honest with you," the Hall of Famer

said. "I celebrated a little bit after the races, but when got home, my son

(Tory C., known as T.C.) had a runner (Sultry Warrior) in the 10TH race at

Churchill Downs last night. I got home in time to see it and he won his first

race (as a trainer).

"It paid $104.40 and I think I got more wound up over that than the day I

had."

Proving once again that blood is thicker than water, or money either, for

that matter.

In other Breeders' Cup news from Santa Anita:

Trainer Kathy Ritvo said that Mucho Macho Man will remain at the Arcadia,

California, track after his dominating Awesome Again win and train here for the

Breeders' Cup Classic.

Outside of not winning Saturday's Awesome Again Stakes with Paynter, who

finished a game second to 4 1/4-length winner Mucho Macho Man, Bob Baffert

couldn't have been more encouraged with Paynter's performance.

"He took the worst of it but never quit running," Baffert said of the

four-year-old son of Awesome Again who almost died from laminitis and colitis in

2012.

"He ran hard, and he's still a little rusty, but I think he caught up

yesterday. He never gave it up. He's a tough horse. That's the first time he's

ever taken a lot of dirt. He got a pretty good schooling yesterday. He ran well.

"When Mucho Macho Man runs his race, he's a really good horse. He ran his

race yesterday. I watched the Jockey Club Gold Cup (at Belmont Park) and Ron the

Greek was very impressive, too."

Meanwhile, in addition to Paynter, Baffert has Game On Dude sitting at the

ready for the Breeders' Cup Classic, which, after Saturday, became what appears

to be the most eagerly anticipated race of the year.

Richard Mandella said he "couldn't be happier" with how Beholder ran and how

she came out of the Zenyatta.

Trainer Larry Jones plans to ship Joyful Victory back east following her

third to Beholder in the Zenyatta.

"We'll head to Churchill and if she comes out of this good, we'll come back

(for the Distaff)," Jones said.

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