Bob Baffert will double-team his opposition with varsity Triple Crown contenders Life Is Good and Medina Spirit in next Saturday's Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. The San Felipe is a major steppingstone to the G1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 3.
“Life Is Good will work tomorrow and Medina Spirit worked today (Saturday),” said the two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer, who seeks to add to his record seven San Felipe victories.
Game neck winner in a three-horse photo of the Robert B. Lewis Stakes on Jan. 30, Medina Spirit went six furlongs in a bullet 1:11.20, fastest of 11 drills at the distance, the average time of which was 1:12.89.
“He worked well and if he comes out of it in good order, the plan is to run in the San Felipe,” Baffert said of the Protonico colt. “I'll run two in there.”
Baffert's previous San Felipe wins were recorded by Prime Timber (1999), Point Given (2001), Preachinatthebar (2004), Pioneerof the Nile (2009), Dortmund (2015), Mastery (2017) and Authentic last year.
Hall of Fame member John Velazquez, who piloted Authentic to victory in the Kentucky Derby en route to 2020 Horse of the Year honors, will ride Medina Spirit for the first time, while Mike Smith retains the mount on undefeated G3 Sham Stakes winner Life Is Good, a colt by leading sire Into Mischief. Medina Spirit closed to within three-quarters of a length of Life Is Good to be second in the Sham.
Baffert also is considering Mastering for the Santa Anita Handicap next Saturday. The son of Street Sense would be making his stakes debut in the Big 'Cap, which Baffert has won on five occasions, with General Challenge (2000), Misremembered (2010) and three times with Game On Dude (2011,2013, 2014).
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