santa anita derby | Horse Racing Free Tips

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.”

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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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O’Neill Hoping The Great One Can ‘Rebound’ In Santa Anita Derby

Doug O'Neill hopes The Great One rebounds from his disappointing fifth-place finish behind recently sidelined Life Is Good in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 6 when he runs in the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby next Saturday, April 3.

Named for NHL superstar Wayne Gretzky, The Great One was coming off a smashing 14-length maiden win prior to the San Felipe, in which he finished almost 17 lengths behind Life Is Good after bumping a rival at the start and going four-wide into the stretch before weakening.

“The Great One is scheduled to work tomorrow and as long as that goes well and he comes out of it in good shape, that's the plan,” said O'Neil, who posted back-to-back Santa Anita Derby victories with eventual Kentucky Derby winner I'll Have Another in 2012 and Goldencents in 2013.

“Abel (Cedillo) will be back on him and we're excited about getting another chance against these caliber of horses,” O'Neill said. 'We're real happy with The Great One and think he can rebound and run a big race.”

Team O'Neill obviously was delighted with Hot Rod Charlie's dominant triumph in the Louisiana Derby on March 20. The son of Oxbow will train up to the Run for the Roses, which the trainer also won in 2016 with Nyquist, 2020's leading freshman sire.

“He's back here at Santa Anita and looks great,” O'Neill said of Hot Rod Charlie. “We're optimistic about the first Saturday in May with him.”

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

In addition to the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, they are the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles; the Grade 2 Royal Heroine for fillies and mares four and up at one mile on turf; and the Grade 3 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.

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With Life Is Good Out, McCarthy May Keep Rombauer Home For Santa Anita Derby

Trainer Michael McCarthy said he is opting towards staying in southern California with John and Diane Fradkin's Rombauer, who was under consideration for the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World casino on April 3.

Currently at No. 17 on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, Rombauer was a close second in last year's Grade 1 American Pharoah at Santa Anita where he earned four Kentucky Derby qualifying points. He picked up ten more qualifying points with a last out victory in the El Camino Real Derby on February 13 over the Golden Gate Fields synthetic.

The defection of unbeaten Kentucky Derby trail standout Life Is Good made the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, held on the same day as the Wood Memorial, a more viable option for the son of Twirling Candy.

“I'd say the Wood is a second choice,” McCarthy said. “We're just going to monitor what's happening out here. Both races are in play but I'm leaning more toward staying out here.”

A debut winner on turf and a stakes winner on synthetic, Rombauer is still in search of his first career victory on dirt. He worked five-eighths in :59.20 Saturday on the Santa Anita main track.

Bred in Kentucky by his owners, Rombauer is out of the Cowboy Cal mare Cashmere – a half-sister to multiple stakes-winning millionaire California Flag and California-bred champion Cambiocorsa.

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