Bob Baffert has a chance to sweep Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby preps as he saddles three of the five runners in Santa Anita's GII San Vicente and the morning-line favorite in Oaklawn's GIII Southwest S. in Newgrange (Violence). A debut winner at Del Mar Nov. 28, the dark bay wired Santa Anita's GIII Sham S. next out Jan. 1, earning a field's-best 88 Beyer Speed Figure.
Smarty Jones S. top three Dash Attack (Munnings), Barber Road (Race Day) and Ignitis (Nyquist) rematch here. Opening his account with a 1 1/4-length score here Dec. 5, Dash Attack rallied from well back to take a sloppy renewal of the Jan. 1 Smarty Jones by two lengths.
Barber Road graduated at second asking when dropped from a maiden special weight to a maiden $30,000 and extended to two turns at Keeneland in October. Romping in a starter allowance at Churchill Nov. 10, the gray was second in the Lively Shively S. beneath the Twin Spires 17 days later and was next seen in the Smarty Jones.
After a quartet of in-the-money efforts, Ignitis earned his diploma at Keeneland Oct. 14, but could only manage sixth in the Lively Shively prior to the Smarty Jones.
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