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Baffert Giving Spielberg ‘Another Chance’ On Derby Trail In Southwest

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has captured one of Oaklawn's four Kentucky Derby points races with a horse named after an Olympic gold medalist, another with a horse named after a professional tennis icon and a third with a horse named after a celebrated soccer manager.

Now, it's that fourth race receiving the “star” treatment. The Southern California-based Baffert, who has dominated Oaklawn's Kentucky Derby prep series the last decade, will send out Spielberg in Saturday's $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3), a 1 1/16-mile event the trainer's already won four times.

Spielberg is named for Steven Spielberg, a two-time Academy Award winner for best director. Purchased for $1 million at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Spielberg – the horse – will be making his first start since a disappointing fourth-place finish in his 3-year-old debut, the $100,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 30 at Santa Anita.

Spielberg was not originally nominated to the Southwest, which was scheduled to be run Feb. 15 before severe winter weather postponed the race twice. After losing eight live racing dates, Oaklawn announced Feb. 17 that nominations to all postponed stakes would be reopened and close Feb. 19. Spielberg, a son of Union Rags, was among a handful of horses nominated during the two-day window and one of seven entered Tuesday morning. He was to be flown Wednesday to Arkansas.

“I really don't plan too far out,” Baffert said Tuesday afternoon. “His last race, he just never really got into it. Struggled all the way around there. But he came back and worked well and so I thought, 'You know what? I know it's going to be a short field and the races are sort of on top of each other.' I thought I would give him another chance. It's an easy ship, so we're just going to send him up there and see if he fits with those.”

Spielberg had a productive 2-year-old campaign, finishing second and third, as a maiden, in the $250,000 Del Mar Futurity (G1) at Del Mar and $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita, respectively, and winning the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Dec. 19 at Los Alamitos.

Spielberg was beaten 11 ¼ lengths in the two-turn Robert B. Lewis. In his only other poor performance, Spielberg finished fourth, beaten 9 ½ lengths, in the $100,000 Bob Hope Stakes (G3) Nov. 15 at Del Mar. The colt was coming off a Nov. 1 maiden victory at Del Mar.

“He just never got engaged in the race,” Baffert said of the Robert B. Lewis. “One of those races where he just didn't show up. He came out of it fine. We thought he was doing well going in. He's done that before. He did that at Del Mar. He ran in a stake and just didn't show up.”

Baffert won the Southwest in 2010 with Conveyance – the trainer's first Oaklawn starter in roughly nine years – in 2012 with Castaway and Secret Circle (split race) and in 2013 with Super Ninety Nine. The late Bob Holthus, Oaklawn's all-time winningest trainer, captured the Southwest a record five times.

Baffert also won the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) in 2012 with Bodemeister, who was named after Olympic gold medal winning skier Bode Miller. Baffert won Oaklawn's first Kentucky Derby points race, the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes, in 2018 with Mourinho, who was named after three-time Premier League champion soccer coach Jose Mourinho.

Baffert won the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) last year with Nadal, named after Rafael Nadal, who has a record-equaling 20 career Grand Slam men's singles tennis titles. Nadal returned to win the second division of the Arkansas Derby last May.

The Southwest will offer 17 points to the top four finishers (10-4-2-1, respectively) toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby. Oaklawn's Kentucky Derby points series continues with the $1 million Rebel (G2) March 13 and the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 10.

The Southwest anchors Saturday's 11-race program that begins at 12:15 p.m. (Central). Probable post time for the Southwest, which goes as race 10, is 4:58 p.m. The projected field from the rail out: Essential Quality, Luis Saez to ride, 119 pounds; Saffa's Day, Ricardo Santana Jr., 117; Last Samurai, Jon Court, 117; Jackie's Warrior, Joel Rosario, 119; Santa Cruiser, Richard Eramia, 117; Woodhouse, David Cabrera, 117; and Spielberg, Martin Garcia, 119.

Unbeaten Essential Quality was the country's champion 2-year-old male for trainer Brad Cox, while Jackie's Warrior was a multiple Grade 1 winner last year for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Both horses have been based this winter at Fair Grounds and will be making their 2021 debuts in the Southwest.

Baffert said unbeaten Concert Tour (2 for 2) is already “penciled in” for the 1 1/16-mile Rebel, a race the trainer has won a record seven times. Also pointing for the Rebel is runaway Smarty Jones winner Caddo River, another Cox trainee, and locally based Grade 2 winner Keepmeinmind for trainer Robertino Diodoro.

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Fountain of Youth Trio All Have Something to Prove

There's little doubt that 3-year-olds Drain the Clock (Maclean's Music), Fire At Will (Declaration of War) and Prime Factor (Quality Road) are talented individuals. But whether or not they are legitimate contenders for the GI Kentucky Derby is a question each one will have to answer in Saturday's GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park.

The mile-and-a-sixteenth Fountain of Youth, which drew a field of 10, has a clear favorite in Greatest Honour (Tapit), the Shug McGaughey-trained winner of the GIII Holy Bull S. But whether or not he wins may depend on how Fire at Will handles the dirt, how well Drain the Clock can handle two turns and whether or not Prime Factor can rebound off a third-place finish in the Holy Bull as the even-money favorite. From his main competition, there have been more questions than answers.

Of the group, Fire At Will, a Breeders' Cup winner, is the most accomplished. Trained by Mike Maker, he finished off his 2-year-old campaign with wins on the grass in the GII Pilgrim S. and the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. By Declaration of War out of a Kitten's Joy mare, Fire At Will has a strong turf pedigree, but trainer Mike Maker wants to find out if he can handle the dirt against top company. In his lone start on the main track, he won the off-the-turf With Anticipation S. last summer at Saratoga.

“We thought he deserved a chance and there aren't many races of any significance on the turf for him right now,” Maker said. “This is the time to try something like this. Hopefully, he'll run as well on a fast track as he did on a sloppy track.”

Fire At Will has never worked on the turf and has had a steady diet off five and six furlong breezes since the Holy Bull.

“He's a very efficient mover and is professional,” Maker said. “You can't knock him at all.”

Drain the Clock's only career defeat came when his rider lost an iron in the Jean Laffite S. at Delta Downs. Otherwise, he's proven to be among the best 3-year-old sprinters in training. He won the Limehouse S. by 7 1/2 lengths and then came back to blow away the competition in the GIII Swale S. at seven furlongs. Trainer Saffie Joseph knows that he has a good horse, but can't be certain how far he will go.

“So far, he has done everything that we have asked and the one blemish on his record was not his fault,” Joseph said. “This will be his first time at a distance and, in the back of your mind, you always wonder how that will turn out.”

As Joseph sees it, it makes perfect sense to experiment in the Fountain of Youth.

“There's stamina on the dam's side of his pedigree,” he said. “There's no reason to think he won't go a mile-and-a-sixteenth, the question is whether or not he will be as good at a mile-and-a-sixteenth. Talent-wise, I think he is as good as any of the horses in this race. But I know he has to prove that.”

Drain the Clock should benefit from the draw. He drew the one hole, arguably the best post in the race, and should have no problem taking control early without much other speed signed on.

'TDN Rising Star' Prime Factor will start just outside of Drain the Clock in the two post. He looked sensational when breaking his maiden by 8 3/4 lengths in his first career start. A $900,000 yearling purchase trained by Todd Pletcher, he became one of the most hyped horses of the early winter, but couldn't back that up when finishing third, beaten 9 1/2 lengths in the Holy Bull. The question Saturday will be whether or not he can run back to his debut.

“I don't know if it was an easy decision to go in this race or not,” Pletcher said. “The horse made it easier by training well since the Holy Bull. The harder decision was going in the Holy Bull off one six-furlong start; Ideally, we would have liked to have found an allowance race for him and made a more gradual progression into a graded stakes.”

Pletcher hopes that Prime Factor learned enough in the Holy Bull that he will take a step in the right direction Saturday.

“We're hoping that the lack of seasoning and experience was the reason why he didn't run as well as we had hoped in the Holy Bull,” he said. “He's come back with a couple of good breezes. I was disappointed with his last race. We didn't go out there to finish third by nine. But we think we had some legitimate reasons for it and I think it's logical that he will move forward after having that experience.”

The Holy Bull field, from the rail out, consists of Drain the Clock, Prime Factor, Sososubtle (Speightster), Fire At Will, Jirafales (Social Inclusion), King's Ovation (Not This Time), Tarantino (Pioneerof the Nile), Greatest Honour, Tiz Tact Toe (Tourist) and Papetu (Dialed In).

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Jackie’s Warrior, Former King of the Hill, Looks to Reclaim His Perch

In the world's current state of affairs, a lot can change in a few months' time. Racing is no different. One only has to go back to November to remember when Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) was the undisputed leader of his age group. But an odds-on loss on the sport's biggest stage took the bloom off of his rose for some, and these days, despite being a multiple Grade I winner, one could argue he is a forgotten colt as the GI Kentucky Derby trail kicks into high gear.

But opportunity knocks this Saturday, in the twice-delayed GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn, where the brilliant $95,000 Keeneland September grad will make his 3-year-old debut and get his long-awaited rematch with the rival who snatched away his Eclipse statuette with a conquest of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Essential Quality (Tapit).

“Steve [Asmussen]'s extremely happy with the horse, I personally love the draw, number four in a seven-horse field and you get the favorite down on the rail, so I think we're good to go,” Robison said Wednesday of the Southwest, which was originally supposed to run Feb. 15 but got pushed back two times due to inclement weather in Hot Springs. “Steve never considered another race. From 6-8 weeks ago, he was always on track for this race and I think when they announced Essential Quality was probably going there too, it scared a few people off, but that's where we wanted to go from day one. No excuses.”

After dominating a trio of historic 2-year-old stakes last summer and fall–the GII Saratoga Special S., GI Runhappy Hopeful S. and GI Champagne S.–Jackie's Warrior was regarded highly enough to be hammered down to 9-10 favoritism in the Juvenile, one of the shortest prices of the entire Breeders' Cup weekend. But the speedball was caught too close to a scorching pace of :22.58 and :45.31, and just faded late after making the lead in mid-stretch under Joel Rosario, ending up fourth, beaten 3 3/4 lengths by tripped-out closer Essential Quality.

The nature of that first defeat raised doubts about Jackie's Warrior's ability to see out two-turn races, considering his running style and sprint-leaning pedigree.

“I think there's always been some question about whether he could get a mile and a sixteenth against top-flight horses,” Robison said. “He was not able to do it that day, but I'm very confident he can get it done Saturday. It's a different circumstance, smaller field, and I think Rosario and Steve probably learned a lot from what happened in the Juvenile, so let's see what happens.”

As for potentially trying to throttle the horse's speed down to increase his staying chances, Robison said, “He really is freaky fast, and I remember Steve telling me a long time ago about horses, 'Never take away what they do well.' So if you have a horse who outbreaks the field, don't take that advantage away from the horse, let him go on. He's just a natural speed horse and I think that's what his style will be. The question is going to always be, how far can he take that kind of speed? We'll find out.”

And, if Jackie's Warrior doesn't continue on the Derby trail after Saturday, that will be just fine with Robison, a veteran of the game who deeply appreciates the prestige of big races beyond the Run for the Roses.

“If he turns into a multiple Grade I winner around one turn, that's not the end of the world,” he said with a laugh. “I don't get up in the morning dreaming about a Derby horse. People at cocktail parties only want to hear about the Derby, but most of us in the industry know with these Grade I sprints and one-turn mile races, how important they are. I'm not going to presume what Steve's going to do after this race, but having said that, I think he'll run extremely well.”

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Jenny Pfanenstiel Named Featured Milliner Of 2021 Kentucky Derby

Churchill Downs Racetrack today announced that Master Milliner and owner of Louisville-based Formé Millinery Jenny Pfanenstiel has been named a Featured Milliner of the 147th Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve. Pfanenstiel is renowned throughout the world for her dedication to craft and quality in her one-of-a-kind creations. Her hats and fascinators for women and men are available at the Formé Millinery Hat Shop in downtown Louisville, specialty boutiques around the world and at www.formemillinery.com.

Pfanenstiel is internationally recognized for her award-winning craft of creating and sculpting hats by hand using the highest quality and rare materials from across the globe. She incorporates traditional millinery techniques and is known for her unique practice of sculpting hats on a braid machine from the 1800s, making her a perfect fit for the oldest continually held sporting event in North America.

“As a milliner who respects the storied history of my own craft, it is thrilling to partner with an iconic and historic event like the Kentucky Derby,” Pfanenstiel said. “The tradition of hats at the Derby is just one of the distinctive things that make it such a sensational spectacle and it is an honor to collaborate on one-of-a-kind pieces that add to the beauty and special memories associated with America's Greatest Race.”

Pfanenstiel has created hats for some of the world's most fashionable people including Former First Lady Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, Neil Diamond and Barbara Corcoran from the TV show “Shark Tank.” She is the Official Milliner of the Kentucky Derby Museum and a Featured Milliner of the Keeneland Racetrack in Lexington, Ky. She has created exclusive hat collections for vineyard vines, Covet Fashion Style App, J Peterman, American Express, Goodman Theatre and the Joffrey Ballet and is a hat designer for McCall Patterns. In 2019, she was selected as a Tory Burch Fellow through the Tory Burch Foundation as a woman entrepreneur. She is also the author of the book, “The Making of a Milliner.”

“It is an honor to feature Master Milliner Jenny Pfanenstiel who is based in Louisville, Kentucky – the home of the Kentucky Derby,” said Mike Anderson, President of Churchill Downs Racetrack. “The artistry and talent that she pours into each design contribute in a memorable way to the overall ambience of The Run for the Roses.”

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