ARCADIA, Calif. – High-profile maiden 3-year-olds could steal the show Friday at Santa Anita. That is, if there is a show to steal. An ominous forecast called for up to four inches of rain this week at Santa Anita. Conditions are uncertain for Friday racing. Track officials already made a preemptive move by postponing all turf races until the weekend. Due to expected wet weather, all eight races Friday are on dirt. “We’re playing a little defense,” racing secretary Jason Egan said, referring to the all-dirt program. The status of weekend turf racing is pending. Five turf races are scheduled Saturday, and 11 more turf races Sunday and Monday combined. The immediate concern is Friday dirt, specifically race 6, a maiden route with potential Santa Anita Derby implications. :: Playing Santa Anita? Get the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances, Picks, and Clocker Reports available now. Baeza, runner-up in a highly rated maiden mile, faces Varney, who stretches out from a third-place sprint debut. John Shirreffs trains Baeza, a half-brother to Kentucky Derby winner Mage and Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch. Bob Baffert trains Varney, who is expected to improve with a race under his belt. The four others entered are Rank, Mellencamp, Flyin Private, and Westwood. The card also includes a pair of maiden special weights for 3-year-old fillies, led by last-start second-place finishers. Madame Secretary is heavily favored in race 4 at a mile. Ridegold stands out in race 8, a sprint for California-breds. The day’s primary focus is maiden males. Baeza, a McKinzie colt purchased for $1.2 million as a yearling, began his career finishing ninth in a turf mile Dec. 1 at Del Mar. It was only a prep. Shirreffs equipped Baeza with blinkers for his next start Jan. 4, switched him to dirt at Santa Anita, and he improved significantly. “He looks around a little bit, so we tried the blinkers,” Shirreffs said. “I think the blinkers made a big difference.” Did they ever. Baeza raced closer to the pace, and though no match for runaway winner Rodriguez, Baeza finished second with an 87 Beyer. Since then, Baeza has matured noticeably, according to Shirreffs. “He looks good, carrying good weight, nice coat.” Hector Berrios rides him back. The runner-up finish by Baeza was validated when Rodriguez subsequently finished second in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis. Neither Shirreffs nor owners Lee and Susan Searing are looking beyond this maiden race, but a big performance by Baeza could warrant a shot in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 5. The same applies to Varney, who was third in his debut, a sprint won by stablemate San Saba. Baffert said Varney “needed the race, he finished well, he got a lot out of it. We’ve always thought highly of him.” The Baeza/Varney maiden race was scheduled originally for Feb. 7. The one-week delay benefits Varney, whose debut was Jan. 25. “We got an extra week, otherwise it would have been coming back a little quick,” Baffert said. “He looks like a horse that can go long.” Juan Hernandez rides Varney, a Vekoma colt owned by Michael Talla, Spendthrift Farm, and St. Elias Stables. :: Santa Anita Clocker Reports are available every race day. Access now. Baffert also entered Mellencamp, unplaced in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity. Friday’s maiden race is Mellencamp’s first in two months. The challenge is distance, it is unclear how far he wants to run. Flavien Prat rides Mellencamp. The pace is likely to be set by either Varney or Mellencamp. While the lowest-odds maiden on the card is Madame Secretary, listed at 4-5 in race 4, the most probable winner is in race 8. Ridegold, listed at 7-5, makes her second start after a promising runner-up debut at 5 1/2 furlongs. The Clubhouse Ride filly will be stretching to six furlongs. “The farther she goes, the better she’s going to run,” trainer Craig Lewis said. “She ran well [first out]. She’s a little green, little late switching [leads], and tried to duck out and duck in.” Ridegold finished nearly three lengths clear of third, and with a race under her belt looks tough to beat under meet-leading rider Hernandez. The filly’s main rivals are first-time starter A Fleet Ride and comebacker Miss McKinzie. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.