Doug O'Neill | Horse Racing Free Tips

Baffert Duo Spielberg, Medina Spirit Take On Competitive Field In Bob Lewis

Although Bob Baffert will be packing a heavy one-two punch with Spielberg and Medina Spirit, Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes has attracted a very competitive field of eight sophomores, with no clear-cut standout. To be contested at a mile and one sixteenth over Santa Anita's main track, the Lewis is a key prep to the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 3. Originally titled the Santa Catalina, the Lewis will be run for the 83rd time on Saturday.

Named in honor of the prominent late owner and philanthropist Robert B. Lewis, who along with his wife Beverly, owned two Kentucky Derby winners, Silver Charm in 1997 and Charismatic in 1999, the Lewis winner will receive 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. The second place finisher will receive four, third place nets two points and the fourth place finisher will get one point.

Spielberg comes off a gutty nose victory at the same distance in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 19, which was his sixth career start. The win no doubt took on added luster when the runner-up, Doug O'Neill's The Great One, came back to demolish a field of maidens by 14 lengths this past Saturday.

Purchased for $1 million as a Keeneland September Yearling, Spielberg, a chestnut colt by Union Rags, out of the Smart Strike mare Miss Squeal, has been favored in four of his six starts and he'll be making his fifth graded stakes appearance. Owned by SF Racing, LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, LLC, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm, LLC and Robert Masterson, Spielberg will be ridden back by Flavien Prat and be trying to provide Baffert with his third consecutive Lewis win and his record ninth overall.

A first-out maiden winner going 5 ½ furlongs at Los Alamitos Dec. 11, Medina Spirit far outran his 9-1 odds in finishing a fast closing second, beaten three quarters of a length by his highly regarded stablemate Life Is Good in the G1 Sham Stakes going one mile on Jan. 2. Owned by Zedan Racing Stables, Inc., Medina Spirit, a Florida-bred colt by the Giant's Causeway stallion Protonico, was purchased for a modest $35,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company July 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale, 2020.

Second the entire trip in the Sham, Medina Spirit hit his best stride late and earned a lofty 99 Beyer Speed figure in the process. He'll be ridden back by Abel Cedillo, who comes of a fabulous three-day week at Santa Anita in which he posted nine wins.

Dismissed at 94-1, Doug O'Neill's Hot Rod Charlie made the lead a furlong from home and finished second, beaten three quarters of a length in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Nov. 6 at Keeneland, earning a 94 Beyer. A one mile maiden winner here two starts back on Oct. 2, this colt by Oxbow is vastly improved, has been training impressively and will get the first time services of Joel Rosario. Owned by Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, LLC and Strauss Bros Racing, Hot Rod Charlie closed much ground at Keeneland and will hope to be rolling late with plenty of pace to exploit in the Lewis.

A $500,000 Keeneland September Yearling purchase, C R K Stable's Parnelli could likely pose significant trouble for anyone with front-running aspirations. A galloping 5 ¾ one mile maiden winner two starts back at Del Mar Nov. 28, this colt by Quality Road was a bit rank while under restraint early in the Sham on Jan. 2 and was never a factor thereafter. With a win, three seconds and a third, Parnelli, who is trained by John Shirreffs, will be ridden for the first time by Umberto Rispoli.

Owned by Reddam Racing, LLC and trained by Doug O'Neill, Wipe the Slate could also add plenty of fuel to the early pace fire, as he comes off an impressive 3 ¼ length maiden win going seven furlongs here on Dec. 26. A Kentucky-bred colt by Reddam's 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, Wipe the Slate looms a legitimate contender in his third start with Mario Gutierrez riding back.

THE GRADE III ROBERT B. LEWIS STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 8 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

Medina Spirit—Abel Cedillo—120
Rombauer—Mike Smith—120
Parnelli—Umberto Rispoli—120
Hot Rod Charlie—Joel Rosario—20
Roman Centurian—Juan Hernandez—120
Waspirant—Ricardo Gonzalez—120
Wipe the Slate—Mario Gutierrez–120
Spielberg—Flavien Prat—124

First post time for an eight-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. All of Santa Anita's races are offered free of charge at santaanita.com/live and fans can watch and wager at 1st.com/Bet.

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Triple Crown Weekend Prep Report Card: A Rapid River In The Smarty Jones

Oaklawn opened its 2021 meeting last Friday, Jan. 22, with Caddo River taking the day's feature race, the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes for 3-year-olds, the only Kentucky Derby qualifying points race of the last week.

Caddo River serves notice with a 10 1/4-length victory in the Smarty Jones

The Smarty Jones, worth 17 points to the top four finishers (10-4-2-1) is the first of four Derby points races at the Hot Sports, Ark., track. Next up will be the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes (17 points) on Feb. 15, followed by the G2 Rebel (85 points) on March 13 and the G1 Arkansas Derby (170 points) on April 10 – three weeks before the May 1 Kentucky Derby.

Inaugurated in 2008, the Smarty Jones has yet to produce a classic winner, though Will Take Charge kicked off his Eclipse Award-winning 3-year-old season with a victory in the 2013 Smarty Jones for Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas. Though he was unsuccessful while running in all three Triple Crown races, Will Take Charge won the G2 Rebel, G1 Travers, G2 Pennsylvania Derby, G1 Clark and was beaten a nose by Mucho Macho Man in the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita.

While the Smarty Jones was the only points race, there were two very impressive maiden performances worth chronicling on Saturday, Jan. 23.

The first may have gotten lost on the Pegasus World Cup card from Gulfstream Park. Prevalence, a Godolphin homebred by Medaglia d'Oro trained by Brendan Walsh, absolutely destroyed a 12-horse maiden field going seven furlongs. Breaking half a step slow from the six post under Tyler Gaffalione at 7.80-1 odds, Prevalence worked his way toward the front along the rail after an opening quarter mile in :22.66. He was in front after a half in :46.09 and then left his rivals in the dust, pulling away under mild encouragement to win by 8 ½ lengths while completely geared down in the final yards. Six-furlong split was 1:10.45 with the seven furlongs timed in 1:23.00. He was given a Beyer Speed Figure of 89.

Prevalence was an impressive winner in his debut at Gulfstream Park on Pegasus World Cup day

Prevalence was one of eight first-time starters in the race, so it's hard to gauge the quality of the field he was beating. I have a sneaking suspicion several of those who chased Prevalence will graduate soon as the field included a John Gunther homebred trained by Chad Brown (runner-up Stage Raider), a $1,050,000 Curlin yearling trained by Todd Pletcher (Ghazaaly, who finished third), and horses carrying silks of high-end stables like W.S. Farish, WinStar Farm/CHC Inc., and Lothenbach Stables, among others.

Walsh told Daily Racing Form's Mike Welsch he might look for an allowance race or consider the G2 Fountain of Youth (an 85-point Derby points test) on Feb. 27 for Prevalence's next start.

Pedigree note: Prevalence was produced from the Ghostzapper mare Enrichment, whose Arch colt Estihdaaf won the G3 UAE Two Thousand Guineas at a mile in 2019. Enrichment was produced from the Seeking the Gold mare Sahara Gold, a daughter of the Storm Cat mare Desert Stormer, who beat males in the 1995 Breeders' Cup Sprint.

The other impressive maiden winner on Saturday was The Great One, a Nyquist colt who romped to a 14-length win at Santa Anita in a mile maiden race that ran with only four starters, including 11-10 favorite debut runner Fenway (a $650,000 yearling purchase by Into Mischief) from the Bob Baffert barn. The Great One is trained by two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Doug O'Neill and is owned in part by Erik Johnson, a defenseman for the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL (thus the name The Great One, a reflection of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky's nickname, fitting for a son of a horse named for another hockey star Gustav Nyquist).

The Great One, by Nyquist, drawing off by 14 lengths under Abel Cedillo

The Great One was coming off a nose defeat to Baffert-trained Spielberg in the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 19 – his fourth start. Two starts earlier in a mile main track maiden race at Del Mar, The Great One finished fourth, beaten 13 lengths by Spielberg. So I think we can establish that The Great One is improving.

Unlike the Los Al Futurity, where The Great One raced on the lead throughout and was nailed in a head-bobber, he rated just off Fenway's right flank through fractions of :22.91 and :45.76, then took command after three-quarters in 1:10.67. He went seven furlongs in 1:23.69 and under energetic handling by Abel Cedillo for most of the stretch run stopped the clock for a mile in 1:37.28 – a final quarter mile in 26.61 seconds after fast early fractions.

The Great One received a 92 Beyer Speed Figure, compared to an 81 for his Los Al Futurity.

O'Neill said the G2 San Felipe (85 qualifying points) on March 6 is the logical next step for The Great One.

If I had to pick between these two maiden winners, I'd go with Prevalence, simply because I see more upside.

Now a look at the Smarty Jones Stakes. My grading system (A to F) is entirely subjective and based on my personal “eyeball test,” Beyer Speed Figures from Daily Racing Form, historical significance of the race and perceived quality of fields.

Jan. 22: Smarty Jones Stakes, one mile, Oaklawn

Much was expected of Brad Cox-trained Caddo River, the 3-5 Smarty Jones favorite based on the Hard Spun colt's 9 ½-length maiden win when stretched out to a one-turn mile for his third start at Churchill Downs last Nov. 15. He finished second in two previous seven-furlong sprints at Saratoga in September and Belmont in October.

He did not disappoint, winning by 10 1/4 lengths.

With Florent Geroux in the saddle, Caddo River went straight to the front and basically tow-roped the seven-horse field once around the Oaklawn oval to the finish line at the sixteenth pole in the “short stretch” configuration for one-mile races at Oaklawn. Each of his quarter miles went progressively slower than the previous one: :23.12, :24.04, :25.26 and :25.77. That's about the only flaw (if you could call in that) I could see in the performance, which was very professional and rated a 92 Beyer Speed Figure.

There were three multiple winners in the lineup, plus the Steve Asmussen-trained Cowan, a two-time stakes runner-up, including the G2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. I don't see a big upward arc for any of those who came in Caddo River's wake, so the level of competition knocks down his grade a bit.

Hard Spun (like Prevalence's sire Medaglia d'Oro and The Great One's sire Nyquist) stands at Darley at Jonabell Farm. While his lone G1 victory came sprinting seven furlongs in the King's Bishop (now the H. Allen Jerkens), the son of Danzig finished second to Street Sense in the Kentucky Derby and second to Curlin in the Breeders' Cup Classic at four in 2007. His offspring have proven to be solid around two turns as well.

Caddo River, bred by and racing for John Ed Anthony's Shortleaf Stable, is the firest foal from the Congrats mare Pangburn, a stakes winner for Shortleaf purchased for $130,000 at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Yearling Sale.

Anthony is no stranger to the Triple Crown trail, having won the 1980 Belmont Stakes with Temperence Hill and back-to-back Preakness Stakes in 1992-'93 with Pine Bluff and Prairie Bayou, respectively. He's won Oaklawn's Rebel Stakes four times and the Arkansas Derby on three occasions. Like so many of his previous runners, Caddo River is named after a landmark in Anthony's home state of Arkansas. We're going to hear a lot more about this horse.

Grade: B

This Saturday we'll have two Kentucky Derby points races, the G3 Holy Bull from Gulfstream Park and the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes from Santa Anita

Previously: Jan. 18 Triple Crown Weekend Prep Report Card

Jan. 3 Triple Crown Weekend Prep Report Card

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Gretzky Namesake The Great One Being Pointed Toward March 6 San Felipe

Wow!

The exclamations were still relevant at Santa Anita on Sunday morning, less than 24 hours after The Great One demolished a field of maidens with a 14-length triumph in Saturday's second race, a one-mile event at the Arcadia, Calif., track that likely will lead to the Grade 2, $300,000 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 6.

Doug O'Neill plans to “monitor the colt and then huddle up with the boys (owners)” before making a decision

“That's probably the logical spot right now,” said O'Neill, who trains the Louisiana-bred son of his 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist for an ownership group that includes the Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson's ERJ Racing, LLC, thus the colt's name.

“Erik named him for Wayne Gretzky, one of Eric's idols growing up,” O'Neill said, clarifying that the $185,000 Ocala Breeders' Sales purchase was not named after the late Jackie Gleason, a multi-talented actor, comedian, writer, composer and conductor deservingly known affectionately as “The Great One.”

“Erik and Wayne are friends,” O'Neill added, “so it's pretty cool.”

Gretzky, lest we forget, holds a host of hockey records that would fill a goalie's net, and is not only considered by many the greatest hockey player of all-time, but in some quarters, the greatest athlete of all time, justifying his nickname, “The Great One.”

Gretzky, who turns 60 on Monday, Jan. 25, spent the majority of his NHL career with the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings. His next shot on goal was always a high priority as he adhered to the credo, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take.”

Even O'Neill was surprised by the ease with which The Great One broke his maiden.

“Oh, yeah,” he said. “You never figure on winning like that. Your main focus is just trying to get him to the wire first. You never figure they're going to win by 14, although he had been training really, really well. Each race had been better than the previous one.

“Since we added blinkers (last Nov. 29), he's really focused. It's very exciting and hopefully we'll have more fun down the road.”

Triple Crown temptation continues for Team O'Neill this Saturday when two other precocious 3-year-olds run in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes, Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up Hot Rod Charlie and impressive maiden winner Wipe the Slate.

Stay tuned.

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‘This Horse Has Gears’: The Great One Makes Statement With 14-Length Maiden Triumph

Still a maiden following a nose defeat in a Grade 2 stakes on Dec. 19, trainer Doug O'Neill's The Great One exploded off the turn for home en route to a 14-length score in Saturday's second race at Santa Anita, a $61,000 maiden special weight, and thus further enhanced his stature as a serious Derby hopeful. Ridden by Abel Cedillo, the bay son of 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist got a mile in 1:37.28.

With Bob Baffert's first-time starter Fenway, who dominated the wagering as the even money favorite, gunning for the early lead from his rail post, The Great One pressed him every step of the way and was three quarters of a length back at the three furlong pole. Well within himself, The Great One quickly opened up at two length advantage at the quarter pole and widened from there in a tremendous effort.

“When we made the lead at the top of the stretch, that was pretty amazing,” said Cedillo, who although he showed The Great One the stick several times to maintain focus, never hit him. “This horse has gears. Anytime you want one, you got it. The way he won today, he's a top horse, no doubt about it.”

Second, beaten a nose at 33-1 in the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity in his most recent start, The Great One, in his fifth career start, was off at 8-5 in a field of four sophomores and paid $5.20 and $2.60 with no show wagering.

“I always loved Nyquist and this colt caught my eye when he first came in,” said O'Neill assistant Leandro Mora. “He was very, very green, but we told the owners, please let us take our time with him and we have. We knew the ability was there. We have two horses for the Robert Lewis (G3, 1 1/16 miles) next Saturday, but I know Doug wants to try and keep these horses separated as long as we can. This colt is Louisiana-bred, so we have some options. We'll just see how he comes out of this race and then plan ahead.”

Owned by Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson's ERJ Racing, LLC, Train Wreck Al Racing Stables, Niall J. Brennan, Tom Fritz and William Strauss, The Great One is out of the El Corredor mare Little Ms Protocol. A $185,000 Ocala Breeders' Sales July 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale purchase, The Great One picked up $36,600 for the win, increasing his earnings to $83,940.

Although trainer Mark Glatt's Affable loomed a contender a quarter mile out, he never got on terms with the winner and finished second, some 11 ½ lengths in front of longshot There Goes Harvard. Off at 2-1 with Juan Hernandez up, Affable returned $2.80 to place.

Fenway, who was ridden by Victor Espinoza, checked in last, beaten 29 ½ lengths.

Fractions on the race were 22.91, 45.76, 1:10.67 and 1:23.69.

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