Ho hum.
Another year, another bevy of top-shelf 3-year-old colts for trainer Bob Baffert. That was the storyline at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., on Saturday, as Baffert runners Newgrange and Rockefeller ran one-two throughout in the Grade 3, $100,000 Sham Stakes for 3-year-olds at one mile, giving him three consecutive wins in the Sham and eight overall. Ridden to victory by John Velazquez, who collected his third stakes win on the fourth day of the meet, Newgrange, who slowed things down nicely, prevailed by 2 ¾ lengths and got the distance in 1:38.32 after fractions of :24.46, :48.94, 1:12.84 and 1:25.27.
With post time favorite Rockefeller drawn to his immediate outside, the Baffert pair were hustled from the gate but quickly settled into nice rhythm, with Newgrange maintaining a one-length advantage leaving the three-furlong pole and he was in complete command turning for home.
The third choice at 5-2, Newgrange, who was a first-out maiden winner going six furlongs under Velazquez Nov. 28 at Del Mar, paid $7.40.
No match for his stablemate late, Rockefeller held off a fast finishing Oviatt Class by a nose for second and paid $2.60 and $2.20 as the 3-2 favorite with Flavien Prat.
“There was one speed, the other Bob Baffert horse (Rockefeller) and I'm pretty sure he didn't want them in a head and head,” Velazquez said. “He told me to put my horse on the lead. Once my horse got to the lead he waited. I took a little hold of him and he kind of started waiting for the horses, so I started waiting for the horses to come to him, by the time we got to the backside I kind of let him do his own thing. I let him get in a comfortable rhythm, after that it was pretty easy though.
“He's so green,” the rider added, “he feels like he got on by himself, he was waiting for horses so, I had to give him a little reminder to keep his mind on running and his gallop out was pretty good so it still seems like he's learning.”
In an encouraging performance, Oviatt Class finished well into slow splits and acts like a colt who could improve with added distance for trainer Keith Desormeaux. Ridden by his brother Kent, Oviatt Class was off at 4-1 and paid $2.40 to show.
Although any Baffert runners are not now eligible for Kentucky Derby qualifying points – after Baffert-trained Medina Spirit failed a drug test following his first-place finish in the 2021 Kentucky Derby – the conditions of the race state that the winner is to receive 10 points, with four for second, two for third third, and one point for the fourth-place finisher, MacKinnon. Churchill Downs Inc., which runs the Derby at its flagship track in Louisville, Ky., has excluded Baffert horses from participating at any of its tracks through the end of the 2023 spring meeting at Churchill Downs and further stated the horses are not eligible for qualifying points if Baffert is their trainer.
Updated Kentucky Derby Leaderboard
The post Newgrange, Rockefeller Give Baffert 1-2 Finish In Sham, But Neither Horse Earns Kentucky Derby Points appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
