Each summer brings a new crop of 2-year-old bullets, animals with win-early pedigrees that dominate sprints in fast times. Most regress when sent around two turns in the fall or the next spring, so it's hard to take the hype seriously. Anybody remember Dehere?

It pays to be cynical about these types, because you'll be right most of the time. Every so often, though, there's a freak that can handle just about any distance and turns into a world-class force. Holy Bull, a contemporary of Dehere, comes to mind.

Southern California is particularly susceptible to going over the top about quick, green 2-year-olds, and the latest sensation from Los Angeles is a California-bred named Officer. Wait until you see him before shrugging. If you've watched any of his races, you might get excited, too.

His owner, Prince Ahmed Salman of Saudi Arabia, is dazzled.

"He is the best 2-year-old I've ever seen," Salman said after

Officer's absurdly easy win last month in the Grade II Del Mar Futurity. "With my own eyes, in a documentary, in a movie, anything. This is my own personal opinion, but I think this horse is a phenomenon."

Trainer Bob Baffert's latest undefeated prodigy is unchallenged and 4-for-4, including three stakes. The chart comments: "handily, easily, easily, easily." Despite his fast times, Officer hasn't even been asked to run yet, having been geared down late by jockey Victor Espinoza in each of his races. He'll be one of the main attractions Saturday at Belmont Park on Jockey Club Gold Cup day, when Officer will be odds-on in the Grade I, $500,000 Champagne Stakes.

"I've never had a horse like this one at this point in his career," Baffert said recently. "He's got a great mind to go with his great speed. I've had some nice two-year-olds, but he just does it so easy. He just won his [three] races at Del Mar in a gallop and wasn't really that tired when he came back. He hasn't been set down in the morning or in the afternoon."

The 1 1/16-mile Champagne is around one turn but will be Officer's first venture beyond 7 furlongs. His pedigree says no problem. His sire is Bertrando, a Grade I winner at 1 1/4 miles who has passed on his stamina as well as his speed. Baffert isn't predicting another romp but he doesn't sound worried, either.

"I'm sure a mile and a sixteenth will be a big task," he said. "He's going to have to run and stretching him out, you really don't know. But so far he's shown us so much brilliance that my whole job is just to keep him happy and keep him sound, and that's about it, let him do all the work.

"The thing about Officer is that he can relax. He can go a quarter in :23, :24, and pick it up when you want to. So, when you have a horse that's as fast as he is, if you can just cruise along and then push the button and he'll give it to you, that gives you more of a depth in how far they can go."

Officer's fitness can't be questioned after his brilliant 5-furlong workout in 59 2/5 seconds at Santa Anita on Monday, the day before he was shipped to Belmont. According to a report in the Daily Racing Form, a private clocker got his last quarter-mile in an insanely quick :22 2/5 as exercise rider Dana Barnes sat motionless.

For those who believe in omens, Officer won the Del Mar Futurity the day his stablemate Point Given, the Preakness, Belmont, Haskell and Travers winner, was paraded there in a farewell ceremony. Point Given drew national attention last year when he ran a game second in the Champagne, so the parallels are there.

Trainer Chris Paasch, whose colt Kamsack was best of the rest in the Futurity, is a believer. "It looks like Baffert and the Prince have another great horse on their hands," Paasch said that day. "The baton's been passed from Point Given to Officer."

Don't expect him to drop it on Saturday.