Bob Baffert | Horse Racing Free Tips

Southwest Stakes: Spielberg In, Keepmeinmind To Wait For Rebel

Southern California-based Spielberg will join the lineup for this Saturday's delayed edition of the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, reports the Daily Racing Form, while locally-based Keepmeinmind will wait two weeks for the G2 Rebel Stakes.

The Southwest, originally scheduled for Feb. 15, was delayed two weeks by a series of winter storms that hit that Hot Springs, Ark. track, but will still offer the winner 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Spielberg, a 3-year-old son of Union Rags trained by Bob Baffert, won the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity in 2020, but failed to fire when fourth last out in the G3 Bob Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita.

The colt worked six furlongs in 1:13.00 at Santa Anita on Sunday. He'll be piloted in the Southwest by Martin Garcia

“We're going,” Baffert told drf.com. “We'll see what he does over there. He's been training well.”

The Southwest is also expected to draw champion Essential Quality and Grade 1 winner Jackie's Warrior. Entries will be taken Tuesday afternoon.

Keepmeinmind, the Grade 2-winning son of Laoban trained by Robertino Diodoro, missed 11 days of training due to the condition in Arkansas, hence the decision to delay his 2021 debut until the Rebel Stakes on March 13.

Charlatan Takes Over No. 1 Spot In NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll

Though he was caught in late stretch en route to finishing second in the $20 million Saudi Cup on February 20, Charlatan's game effort against international competition was enough for the son of Speightstown to garner favor among voters, who moved the colt into the No. 1 spot on this week's National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Charlatan finished a length behind Mishriff in the Saudi Cup – the first time in five career starts that the chestnut colt had not crossed the wire in front. That outing earned Charlatan 25 first-place votes and 353 points to move him up one spot on the poll.

“(Charlatan) ran a big race,” Baffert told the Santa Anita Park notes team on Sunday morning. “He put away Knicks Go, just ran him down, turned in a gallant effort and it's too bad he got beat. That's a demanding track. The stretch is so long, and he ran hard. The way he ran, it shows what a brilliant horse he is.”

Knicks Go, who led the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll last week, dropped to second in the balloting with 1 first-place vote and 288 points after running fourth in the Saudi Cup.

Godolphin's unbeaten homebred Maxfield, winner of the Grade 3 Mineshaft Stakes at Fair Grounds on Feb. 13, remains third with 5 first-place votes and 265 points while champion distaffer Monomoy Girl (6 first-place votes, 264 points) holds in fourth.

Swiss Skydiver, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2020, moved up to fifth with 160 points followed by Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes winner Colonel Liam (156 points).

Reigning champion female sprinter Gamine is seventh with 93 points with Jesus' Team (92 points), champion turf male Channel Maker (73), and champion male sprinter Whitmore (55) completing the top 10.

There were no positional changes in this week's NTRA Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll as champion juvenile male Essential Quality remains the clear leader with 26 first-place votes and 345 points.

Life Is Good, winner of the Grade 3 Sham Stakes on Jan. 2, remains second with 5 first-place votes and 295 points while Mandaloun, who captured the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 13, is third with 4 first-place votes and 238 points.

Holy Bull Stakes winner Greatest Honour (1 first-place vote, 225 points) sits fourth with Medina Spirit (188 points) in fifth. Caddo River (1 first-place vote, 165 points) remains sixth followed by Concert Tour (101 points), Keepmeinmind (81), and Jackie's Warrior (70). Grade 3 Withers Stakes winner Risk Taking (65 points) completes the top 10.

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport's most comprehensive surveys of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Voting in the Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll concludes following the Belmont Stakes on June 5 and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through Nov. 6.

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Life Is Good Continues San Felipe Preparations With Five-Furlong Bullet

Undefeated Life Is Good worked five furlongs Sunday morning for Bob Baffert in a bullet :59.60, breezing, for the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 6, a steppingstone to the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 3.

Also firing bullets for Baffert Sunday at the Arcadia, Calif., track were 3-year-olds Freedom Fighter and Spielberg, who went six furlongs in identical times of 1:13 flat.

Elsewhere on the Triple Crown front, Baffert said he would “know next week” where Medina Spirit will run. Game neck winner of the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes on Jan. 30, the $35,000 bargain Florida-bred worked six furlongs Saturday in a bullet 1:12.40.

San Vicente winner Concert Tour is confirmed for the G2 Rebel at Oaklawn Park on March 13, while Freedom Fighter, second by a half-length to Concert Tour in the seven-furlong San Vicente, goes in the G3 Gotham at Aqueduct on March 6.

Trainer Michael McCarthy, meanwhile, reiterated Sunday morning that “all options are open” for Rombauer's next race, not committing specifically to the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, saying only that the colt's next race would be at the distance of a mile and an eighth.

Rombauer, a son of Twirling Candy, came from 11 ½ lengths behind at the half-mile marker to win his 3-year-old debut in the mile and an eighth El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields on Feb. 13.

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Baffert: Charlatan ‘Turned In A Gallant Effort’ In Saudi Cup

Charlatan did all the heavy lifting in the world's richest race on Saturday but could not hold off Mishriff late, enduring a noble defeat in the $20-million Saudi Cup, finishing second by a length.

“He ran a big race,” trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday morning. “He put away Knicks Go, just ran him down, turned in a gallant effort and it's too bad he got beat. That's a demanding track. The stretch is so long, and he ran hard.

“It was an exciting race and I would have loved to have won it, but I was afraid of a speed duel between him and Knicks Go. They locked horns after a half-mile and really picked it up the second quarter.

“But the way he ran, it shows what a brilliant horse he is. He put away a really good horse (in Knicks Go, who finished fourth).”

As to the immediate future, Baffert said, “He came out of the race really well. We'll get him back to the United States, play it by ear and see how he's doing.”

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