January, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

The Week in Review: Baffert Bigger, Stronger Than Ever

Bob Baffert has certainly taken his lumps ever since it was discovered that Medina Spirit (Protonico) tested positive for a banned substance in the 2021 GI Kentucky Derby. He was hit with a 90-day suspension from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, the New York Racing Association banned him for a year and Churchill Downs banned him for two years. Though Baffert is still fighting the Churchill ban, in all likelihood, he will not be allowed to start a horse in this year's Derby, which would be the second straight year he was prevented from running a horse in the race.

Then, it was reported last week, that horses currently trained by Baffert must be sent to another trainer by Feb. 28. If not, they will not be eligible for qualifying points for the Derby. Last year, he didn't have to turn over his Derby hopefuls to another stable until just prior to the last round of Derby preps, races like the GI Santa Anita Derby and the GI Arkansas Derby.

With just about any other trainer, these penalties could have been a major setback, with owners sending their horses to new barns. But Baffert is not any other trainer. When it comes to winning Triple Crown races he is arguably the best there has ever been and owners know that teaming up with him improves their chances of winning the sport's most coveted races, even if he might not be the trainer of their horses when it comes Derby time. No one walked away.

So it's no surprise that Baffert has not suffered the “irreparable harm” that his lawyers kept arguing would be the case when contesting the suspensions. But no one could have foreseen what was to come, that Baffert would emerge from this with more firepower than he has ever had.

That was on full display last weekend. Baffert won the GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn with Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo). The next day he captured the GII San Vicente S. with Havnameltdown (Uncaptured), a race in which he sent out three of the four starters. But nothing shined a light on Baffert's dominance quite like the list of nominees for the GIII Robert B. Lewis S., which was released Saturday. Sixteen horses were nominated and 14 are trained by Baffert. He very well could be the only trainer to have a horse in next Saturday's race.

The list of owners of the horses nominated for the Lewis is a stellar group, individuals and partnerships who have remained fiercely loyal to Baffert. You have Zedan Racing Stables, Michael Lund Petersen, the Pegram, Watson, Weitman partnership and the SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables partnership.

The list of Lewis nominees does not include Cave Rock (Arrogate). The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up who was Baffert's best 2-year-old last year, Cave Rock, as of Sunday, had not had a published workout in 2023, not a good sign with the Derby just 95 days away.

Baffert's weekend also included a win in the GIII Las Virgenes S. for 3-year-old fillies with Faiza (Girvin) and a second-place finish with Defunded (Dialed In) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational.

None of which means that Baffert, or whomever is brought in prior to the Derby, has to win the race, but they will likely head to Churchill with a very strong hand, one led by Arabian Knight. After an electric win in his debut Nov. 5 at Keeneland, he had no problem with the next test, two turns and stakes competition in the Southwest. While GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Forte (Violence) has accomplished more than Arabian Knight, the Baffert runner, who cost $2.3 million at the OBS April sale, has been so impressive that he looks like the leader of the division and he tops the TDN's Derby Top 12. Look for him to take the Oaklawn route to the Derby and follow in the footsteps of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile), who won the GII Rebel S. and the Arkansas Derby on his way to Louisville.

The most starters Baffert has ever had in the Derby is three, which he has done four times. Last year, Tim Yakteen, subbing for Baffert, had two. Could Baffert, or whomever is brought in to deputize, have six or seven starters in this year's race? It seems entirely possible. And after the Derby has been run, the last of the suspensions or bans that Baffert has been hit with, will be over. He can move on.

With the two-year anniversary of Medina Spirit having tested positive in the Derby coming up, the Hall of Fame trainer has proved his resiliency and his major owners have all stood by him. It's no doubt been a trying two years for Baffert, but it could have been a lot worse. He's stronger than ever.

Numbers Plummet at Sam Houston

For those of you who missed it, Pauline's Pearl (Tapit) won Saturday's GIII Houston Ladies Classic at Sam Houston and Scarlet Fusion (Curlin) captured the GIII John Connally Turf Cup. Not that hardly anybody was able to watch or wager on those races.

You have to feel bad for Sam Houston management, which has done a good job over the years promoting what it calls the Houston Racing Festival. The event has given the track some needed exposure over the years and brought in some good horses. Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) won the Ladies Classic in 2019 and Letruska (Super Saver) captured the race in 201.

But this year, thanks to a hissy fit from the Texas Racing Commission, the Saturday card at Sam Houston was all but invisible. The Texas racing regulators pulled the plug on the simulcasting of all races in the state after declaring that the advent of the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act meant it was illegal to send the races out of state. So, unless you were present in Texas Saturday, you could neither watch nor bet on the Sam Houston races. With no betting being taken on the races, none of the major ADWs showed the Sam Houston races.

The results were predictable. The handle on the day was $488,385. Last year, when the races were run on a Sunday, the handle was $5,698,052. That's a decline of 91.4%.

The Texas tracks get some of their purse money from a fund that comes from sales taxes on horse feed, tack and other horse-related products and services. But trying to maintain purses when the handle is next to nothing is not feasible. Meanwhile, the Texas Racing Commission continues to cut off its nose to spite its face, putting the future of racing in the state in jeopardy.

At Pegasus World Cup, Business is Booming

1/ST Racing has put a lot of its resources behind turning a day at the races into an event. The best example is Pegasus World Cup Day. By combining a stellar day of racing, a $3-million race and a number of on-track entertainment options, 1/ST has turned the day into a horse racing party.

That might not appeal to everyone as there are surely a lot of curmudgeonly horseplayers who could do without having to pay a good dollar to attend and have no interest in listening to musical acts whose audience are Gen Z-ers. But it is working. They handled $43,886,543 Saturday at Gulfstream. Up until 2016, the race was not the Pegasus but the GI Donn H. and the likes of Kygo, OneRepublic and Joe Jonas were nowhere to be found. In the last year of the Donn, the handle was $19,954,971. It has more than doubled since.

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Art Collector ‘Feeling Good About Himself, Atone ‘In Good Order’ Following Pegasus Victories

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott was extremely pleased Sunday morning with the manner in which Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector exited his 15-1 upset victory in Saturday's $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park.

“He's happy. He was bright and alert and seemed to be feeling pretty good about himself,” Mott reported from Payson Park in Indiantown, Fla.

Art Collector, who had established himself as a solid graded stakes performer while earning more than $2.3 million in his 20 previous starts, turned in a career-best performance in the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus World Cup, the headliner on a 13-race program also featuring the $1-million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) and $500,000 TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G3).

“It's strange. I knew he was doing well going into the race. I felt like he was training well, but you can't really predict the outcome in a race like that,” Mott said. “There's some nice horses in there and you don't know much about the rest of them. I knew our horse was doing well. Did he exceed expectations? I wouldn't say that because I didn't know what to expect.”

Art Collector, who won the 2021 Woodward (G1) and back-to-back Charles Town Classics (G2) on the pace, rated kindly off a contested early pace before making a three-wide sweep to the lead under Junior Alvarado on his way to a 4 ½-length victory.

“We made a conscious decision yesterday to not run him off his feet and see if he could do it that way, and it worked out well. He's had a good year already,” Mott said.

Plans for Art Collector have not been formalized.

“Anytime you've got a well-bred horse that's a Grade 1 stakes winner, I think going to stud is always an option, and it's just a matter of timing when you do it. I can't say what was going on in [Lunsford's] head. I don't think that was the first thing that was on his mind though,” Mott said. “I think Bruce kind of entered the new year thinking he enjoys seeing him on the racetrack and I think he was prepared to continue on that route for the rest of the year if things got going well.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. reported that his three Pegasus entrants exited their respective disappointing efforts in good order.

Skippylongstocking finished seventh, followed by White Abarrio in eighth and O'Connor in 11th.

“They came out of it good. It was a rough day, but we'll move forward,” Joseph said. “We have nothing really planned. Everything kind of went up in smoke [Saturday}.”

Atone 'In Good Order' After Capping Big Day For Maker

Trainer Mike Maker reported Sunday that Three Diamonds Farm's Atone emerged well from his breakthrough victory in Saturday's Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational.

Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., who won his third consecutive Pegasus Turf after back-to-back victories aboard Colonel Liam, Atone saved ground in mid-pack for the first half of the 1 1/8-mile race before being tipped out for a clear run at the top of the stretch and reeling in Group 1 winner Ivar nearing the wire.

“He came out of it in good order,” Maker said. “It's impossible not to be impressed by the way he ran.”

Atone was just the sixth horse to run in the Pegasus Turf more than once, following Next Shares (2019-21), Sacred Life (2020, 2022), Channel Cat (2020, 2022), Cross Border (2021-22) and Colonel Liam (2021-22). Cross Border was also trained by Maker.

Before the Pegasus Turf, Atone had gone winless with three seconds and a third in eight graded-stakes attempts, and also finished fourth last year in the Maker's Mark Mile (G1) and Pegasus Turf, beaten less than three lengths combined.

“I was very happy for him,” Maker said. “The Pegasus race is always very special and for a horse that's always been knocking on the door and not quite getting there, it really meant a lot.”

Maker won the Pegasus Turf in 2020 with Michael Hui's Zulu Alpha. Three Diamonds Farm has been involved in racing since the mid-2000s with its name derived from Kirk and Debra Wycoff's three children.

“Michael Hui has been a longtime client and a good friend so it's always special to win for him, and I can say the same for Three Diamonds,” Maker said. “They've been a long-time supporter of mine, so to win any big race for those guys is always very, very special.”

Atone's race in the Pegasus Turf was his first since a front-running triumph in a 1 1/8-mile optional claiming allowance Nov. 10 on the Aqueduct turf. He went into last year's race having run second in the Fort Lauderdale (G2) six weeks prior at Gulfstream.

“I thought [the time off] did him a world of good,” Maker said. “He runs well fresh and [Saturday] was no exception.”

Maker mentioned the Muniz Memorial Classic (G2) March 25 at Fair Grounds and Turf Classic (G1) May 6 at Churchill Downs as possible upcoming targets for Atone, who passed the $1-million mark in career earnings with his Pegasus Turf victory. He stands at $1,179,146 with seven wins, four wins and four seconds from 23 starts.

Atone capped a huge day at Gulfstream for Maker, who also ran sixth in the Pegasus Turf with 74-1 long shot King Cause. Earlier in the day, Maker won the Fred W. Hooper (G3) with Endorsed and finished first, second, third and fifth in the William L. McKnight (G3) led by winner Red Knight.

On the day, Maker had three wins, one second and two thirds and earned $846,300 in purses. Prior to that he had a record of 29-4-3-4 with $154,615 in purses earned at the Championship Meet, which opened Dec. 26.

“It was a great day,” Maker said. “We were kind of in a slump there and to break out of it in that fashion felt great.”

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D’Amato Considering Big Cap, Dubai For San Pasqual Victor Newgrange

Newgrange was in fine fettle the morning after his game one-length victory in Saturday's San Pasqual (G3), trainer Phil D'Amato reported.

Next up for the 4-year-old Violence colt will likely be either the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) on March 4 or the Dubai World Cup (G1) on March 25.

“He came out of the race in good shape,” D'Amato said. “We'll get a better idea in the next couple of days, but we'll see if we're Big 'Cap bound or Dubai bound. The owners are going to talk among themselves and come up with a game plan.”

Newgrange's win in the 1 1/8-mile San Pasqual was his third stakes win overall and first for his current connections, which also includes the ownership group of Rockingham Ranch, David A. Bernsen, and Little Red Feather. Last July, after Newgrange won a pair of Grade 3 stakes on the Kentucky Derby trail for Bob Baffert and another partnership group, he was offered at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July horses of racing age sale, where Rockingham Ranch bought him from consignor ELiTE for $325,000.

In the San Pasqual, Newgrange broke alertly under leading rider Juan Hernandez and was close to the pace down the backstretch. On the second turn, Newgrange lost ground on the leaders but it was only momentary. When he reached the stretch, Newgrange kicked back into high gear to outrun favorite Hopper and win in a final time of 1:49.97.

“This horse does this in some of his races,” D'Amato said from the Runhappy Winner's Circle Saturday. “He likes to kind of disengage at the three-eighths pole and then come back on.”

In three prior starts for D'Amato, he was third in last summer's Shared Belief at Del Mar, won a highly rated classified allowance at Santa Anita, and then was third in the Native Diver (G3) on Nov. 27 in his start prior to the San Pasqual.

Newgrange is now a perfect 3-for-3 at Santa Anita. Such a lofty local record appears to have D'Amato leaning towards the Big 'Cap for his next start rather than shipping to the Middle East for the Dubai World Cup. Both races are at 1 1/4 miles on dirt.

“We know he likes this racetrack, he's undefeated here, so it would be tough to pass up a race like that,” D'Amato said.

Newgrange's record is now 5-0-2 from eight starts and earnings of $747,334.

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Geaux Rocket Ride Debut Launch For Pin Oak Stud

3rd-Santa Anita, $67,500, Msw, 1-29, 3yo, 6f, 1:09.52, ft, 5 3/4 lengths.

GEAUX ROCKET RIDE (c, 3, Candy Ride {Arg}–Beyond Grace, by Uncle Mo), a live firster after clocking a nice work back on Dec. 30 (5 furlongs, :59.60, 1/72) for the Mandella barn, was clearly ready on debut as he sprinted against five others receiving Lasix for the first time. Sent off at odds of 6-1, the $350,000 FTKJUL buy led from the rail, but was chased down the backstretch by heavy favorite Sonoran (Ride On Curlin) to the tune of :22.00 flat. Rounding the far turn, the pacesetter began to steadily extend his lead, and past the eighth pole kept to the task to score by 5 3/4-lengths over the chalk who was second. The winner is owned by Dana and Jim Bernhard, who purchased historic Pin Oak Stud just outside of Versailles, Kentucky late last year. Beyond Grace was bought by OXO Equine as a 2-year-old at the FTFMAR for $1,500,000. Sales History: $350,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $40,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Pin Oak Stud LLC; B-OXO Equine LLC (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella.

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