Bob Baffert | Horse Racing Free Tips

Medina Spirit, Baffert’s Santa Anita Derby Stand-In, ‘Went Very Nice’ In Breeze

Medina Spirit, twice runner-up to Life Is Good, worked four furlongs Sunday in 48 seconds flat as the Protonico colt prepares to deputize for his undefeated but sidelined stablemate in Saturday's Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

“He went very nice (under jockey Juan Ochoa),” said Bob Baffert, who is seeking to add to his record of nine Santa Anita Derby victories.

“I also worked Hozier (runner-up to unbeaten stablemate Concert Tour in the March 13 Rebel at Oaklawn Park, five furlongs in 1:00.80), Charlatan (four furlongs in 48 flat) and Gamine (five furlongs in 59.60).”

Life Is Good was favored in the most recent Future Wager to win the May 1 Kentucky Derby before a small chip in his left hind ankle was detected following a workout on March 20, forcing him to miss the race and necessitating surgery by Dr. Larry Bramlage at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., two days ago.

“The surgery went well,” Baffert said. “I received great reports on it. It was minor, so that was good and he should be back (racing) a lot sooner than we thought he would.”

G1 Malibu Stakes winner Charlatan and Eclipse Award champion female sprinter Gamine are scheduled to run at Churchill Downs on Derby Day, Charlatan in the G1 Churchill Downs Stakes and Gamine in the G1 Derby City Distaff, both at seven furlongs.

Trainer John Sadler sent Runhappy Santa Anita Derby candidate Rock Your World five furlongs Sunday morning in a bullet 59.20, fastest of 76 drills at the distance, more than two seconds faster than the average time of 1:01.37.

The Runhappy Santa Anita Derby headlines six stakes on Saturday, four of them graded and two showcasing California-bred or sired runners.

In addition to the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, they are the G22 Santa Anita Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles; the G2 Royal Heroine for fillies and mares 4 and up at one mile on turf; and the G3 Providencia Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

Also, two Golden State Series races, the $150,000 Echo Eddie Stakes for 3-year-olds at 6 ½ furlongs and the $150,000 Evening Jewel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 6 ½ furlongs.

In all, the six stakes offer $1,750,000 in purse money. Entries for Saturday's race will be taken on Wednesday.

Saturday's latest local weather forecasts partly cloudy skies, one percent chance of rain and a high of 78 degrees.

First post time will be 12 noon.

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Medina Spirit Ready to Represent Baffert in Santa Anita Derby

Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.'s Medina Spirit (Protonico) breezed a half in :48 flat (13/64) Sunday morning at Santa Anita as he readies to represent trainer Bob Baffert in Saturday's GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby. The GIII Robert B. Lewis S. winner has twice finished second to unbeaten stablemate Life Is Good (Into Mischief), who was also pointing for the Santa Anita Derby before being sidelined with an ankle chip.

“He went very nice [under jockey Juan Ochoa],” Baffert said. “I also worked [GII Rebel S. runner-up] Hozier (Pioneerof the Nile, 5f, 1:00.80, 26/76); [GISW and Saudi Cup runner-up] Charlatan (Speightstown, 4f, :48 flat, 13/64); and [defending champion female sprinter] Gamine (Into Mischief, 5f, 59.60, 3/76).”

'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good, meanwhile, underwent surgery by Dr. Larry Bramlage at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital on Friday to remove the chip.

“The surgery went well,” Baffert said. “I received great reports on it. It was minor, so that was good and he should be back a lot sooner than we thought he would.”

The post Medina Spirit Ready to Represent Baffert in Santa Anita Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Even With Top Colt Sidelined, Life On Triple Crown Trail Is Still Good For Baffert

Medina Spirit, twice runner-up to unbeaten stablemate Life Is Good, is scheduled to have his final major work Sunday for the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, a race trainer Bob Baffert has won a record nine times, starting with California-bred Cavonnier in 1996 and culminating to date with Roadster in 2019.

Even with the defection of early Kentucky Derby favorite Life Is Good due to a small chip in his left hind ankle, Baffert still has three other Triple Crown hopefuls, among them undefeated San Vicente Stakes and Rebel Stakes winner Concert Tour, who worked five furlongs Saturday morning in 1:00.80 under Juan Ochoa for the Arkansas Derby on April 10.

“He went great; he looked fantastic,” the two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer said of the son of Street Sense owned and bred by Gary and Mary West.

“He couldn't have looked any better. He just cruised around there in a minute and change.”

Runhappy Santa Anita Derby candidates working Saturday included Dream Shake for Peter Eurton, five furlongs in 59.80, Roman Centurian, five furlongs in 1:00.40 for Simon Callaghan, and The Great One, six furlongs in 1:14.20 for Doug O'Neill.

The 68-year-old Baffert is closing in on fellow Hall of Fame member D. Wayne Lukas for the lead in Grade 1 wins from Jan. 1, 1976 through yesterday. The 85-year-old Lukas has 219 wins from 1,390 starts; Baffert is one back with 218 from 915 starts.

With 896 career wins at Santa Anita (not including Oak Tree), Baffert also is nearing the record for most races won at The Great Race Place, 21 behind the late Bobby Frankel's 917.

The Runhappy Santa Anita Derby headlines six stakes this Saturday, four of them graded and two showcasing California-bred or sired runners.

In addition to the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, they are the G2 Santa Anita Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles; the G2 Royal Heroine for fillies and mares 4 and up at one mile on turf; and the G3 Providencia Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

Also, the two Golden State Series races, the $150,000 Echo Eddie Stakes for three year olds at 6 ½ furlongs and the $150,000 Evening Jewel Stakes for three-year-old fillies at 6 ½ furlongs.

Saturday's local weather forecast calls for partly cloudy skies, zero percent chance of rain, and a high of 77 degrees.

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Bezos May Be Ready For Prime Time After Stylish Maiden Win At Santa Anita

Highly regarded Bezos, Triple Crown nominated but late to the party, fought off a stiff challenge from his stablemate Fenway turning for home and promptly asserted his dominance, as he waltzed to a 4 ½ length win in Friday's $61,000 Santa Anita maiden special weight feature at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Flavien Prat, Bezos got a flat mile in 1:37.64.

“We missed the window, we were trying to get him there (Derby trail), but he's a beautiful horse,” said Baffert. “This was good what he did today. Going two turns, that's gonna be his game, so he'll develop. We'll just let him develop on his own now. We're not in a hurry now.

“Fenway… he ran his race, but he's definitely a one-turn horse. I think he'll go a one turn mile.”

Well beaten in his 6 ½ furlong debut at odds of 3-5 on Feb. 7, Bezos was sent from the gate by Prat and traded punches with Fenway on the front end through splits of 22.98, 46.37, 1:10.83 and 1:23.85.

Ridden for the first time by Prat, Bezos was off as the 7-5 favorite in a field of six sophomores and paid $4.80, $2.80 and $2.10.

Purchased for $400,000 as a Keeneland September Yearling, Bezos is owned by SF Racing, LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, LLC, Stonestreet Stables, LLC, Golconda Stable, Siena Farm, LLC and Robert Masterson, picked up $36,600 for the win. A striking physical specimen, Bezos is by Empire Maker out of the A.P. Indy mare A P Mink.

Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, There Goes Harvard was on the move while 1 ½ lengths off the lead three furlongs out, but never threatened the winner the final quarter mile. Trained by Michael McCarthy, There Goes Harvard was off as the 2-1 second choice and paid $3.20 and $2.20 while finishing 2 ¼ lengths better than Fenway.

Ridden by Mike Smith, Fenway, in his fourth career start, was the third choice at 2-1 and paid $2.40 to show while finishing a half length in front of Vantage Point.

Bezos provided Prat with his third win on the card and in race seven and he would notch his fourth of the day aboard Shes'a Perfectlady — giving him a meet-leading 72 wins, 24 better than runner-up Juan Hernandez.

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m.

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