The Road to the Kentucky Derby officially kicks off Sunday at Santa Anita with the Grade 3, $100,000 Sham Stakes going a flat mile. Six sophomore colts are set to go postward, which includes a quartet for Bob Baffert led by 2-1 morning-line favorite National Treasure.
Baffert, an eight-time Sham winner and a six-time winner of the Kentucky Derby, provided insight on all four of his starters on Friday.
National Treasure won his debut sprinting at Del Mar in September and returned to finish second behind stablemate Cave Rock when stretched to 1 1/16 miles in the Grade 1 American Pharoah. The Quality Road colt, who was a $500,000 auction purchase as a 2-year-old, was subsequently sent to Keeneland for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and finished third, beaten about 3 ¾ lengths by Forte, the de-facto 2-year-old male champion of 2022 for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.
Since the Breeders' Cup, National Treasure has signaled his readiness for the Sham with several fast works that includes a bullet six-furlong work in 1:11.6 on Monday.
“This is the time of year you see them mature, and this horse is maturing,” Baffert said. “I think he ran a big race in the Breeders' Cup and he's continued to work that way.”
National Treasure will break from post 2 on Sunday with John Velazquez returning to the irons.
Newgate will be back around two turns following a second-place finish behind stablemate Havnameltdown in the Grade 3 Bob Hope going seven furlongs at Del Mar on Nov. 20. Prior to that effort, the Into Mischief colt was sent to Keeneland for his two-turn debut in the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity at 1 1/16 miles. Dispatched at 11-1, Newgate showed speed for a half mile before fading to fifth, 7 ¼ lengths adrift of winner Forte.
“I think he's better than what he's shown,” Baffert said of Newgate. “He's kind of a slower-maturing type physically and mentally. We're trying to figure him out and that's what these races are for.”
Newgate, who was an $850,000 auction purchase as a yearling, will break from the rail in the Sham with new rider Frankie Dettori in the irons.
Speed Boat Beach returns to dirt following a pair of stakes wins on grass, which includes the Grade III Cecil B. DeMille most recently when stretched to a mile at Del Mar on Dec. 4. Last week, the son of Bayern was scratched from the Eddie Logan Stakes on turf.
“He's a horse we've been thinking about sending to the Saudi Derby and Dubai, so I wanted to give him a prep on dirt,” Baffert said.
Speed Boat Beach could be the pacesetter on Sunday under Flavien Prat.
“He's extremely fast, definitely the quickest of the group,” Baffert said.
Rounding out Baffert's Sham starters is Reincarnate, a front-running maiden winner when going a mile at Del Mar on Nov. 25. The Good Magic colt, who commanded $775,000 at auction, has four works since including a six-furlong drill in 1:13 last Friday.
“He's a big, strong horse,” Baffert said. “He's not as quick as those other horses, but he can jump up if the pace is quick. He wants to go a mile and a quarter. Distance is going to be his friend.”
Baffert's eight Sham Stakes scores include the last three, with Newgrange (2022), Life Is Good (2021) and Authentic, who would go on to also win the Kentucky Derby in 2020.
The field: 1. Newgate, Frankie Dettori (6-1); National Treasure, John Velazquez (2-1); Speed Boat Beach, Flavien Prat (5-2); Reincarnate, Juan Hernandez (8-1); Packs a Wahlop, Ramon Vazquez (6-1); Spun Intended, Mike Smith (5-2).
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