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GSW Spielberg Confirmed for Florida Derby

SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stable LLC, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm LLC and Robert Masterson's Spielberg (Union Rags) has been confirmed to contest the GI Curlin Florida Derby Mar. 27 at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, the 3-year-old is expected to face GIII Holy Bull S. and GI Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. winner Greatest Honour (Tapit) in the nine-furlong test that has produced the winners of 60 Triple Crown events.

“We'll see how he stacks up,” Baffert said Friday.

Spielberg, who is scheduled to breeze at Santa Anita Sunday before shipping to South Florida, most recently finished a well-beaten second behind Eclipse champion Essential Quality (Tapit) in the Feb. 27 GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn Park.

“He's a great-feeling horse,” Baffert said about the colt's latest start. “He came out of that race in great shape.”

In his 2021 debut, the $1-million KEESEP purchase stumbled at the start of the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. at Santa Anita before finishing fourth behind Baffert-trained winner Medina Spirit (Protonico).

“He needs to get away from the gate well,” said Baffert of Spielberg's chances of winning the Florida Derby.

During his juvenile campaign, Spielberg finished second in the GI Del Mar Futurity and third in the GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita before breaking is maiden in his fourth start. He went on to win the GII Los Alamitos Futurity.

The post GSW Spielberg Confirmed for Florida Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Champion Essential Quality Returns With Victory Over Spielberg In Southwest

Making his first start since winning the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland last Nov. 6, Godolphin homebred Essential Quality – the reigning 2-year-old champion of 2020 – remained undefeated in four starts with an off the pace win for trainer Brad Cox in Saturday's Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark.

The Tapit colt out of Delightful Quality, by Elusive Quality, covered 1 1/16 miles on a sloppy track under Luis Saez in 1:45.48 and paid $3.80 for the win as the 4-5 favorite, winning by 4 1/4 lengths.

Spielberg, a late entry to the Southwest from Bob Baffert's West Coast stable, finished second, with pacesetter Jackie's Warrior another 4 1/4 lengths back in third and Woodhouse fourth in the field of seven 3-year-olds.

The Southwest, postponed from its original date because of the winter storm that hit Arkansas, was a qualifying race for the Kentucky Derby offering 10-4-2-1 to the top four finishers.

Updated Kentucky Derby Leaderboard

Jackie's Spirit, also making his first start since the Breeders' Cup Juvenile – in which he finished fourth, his first career loss in five career outings – went to the lead under Joel Rosario. The Maclean's Music colt, who won the G1 Hopeful and G1 Champagne as a 2-year-old, went the opening quarter in :23.52, a half-mile in :48.11 and six furlongs in 1:13.59.

Essential Quality, fifth early, moved into contention approaching the far turn, went three wide at the three-eighths pole and took command into the stretch. He clocked a mile time of 1:39.05 and drew off for the win.

Spielberg, after getting away slowly rallied from last to get second for the third time in eight starts to go with a maiden win and victory in the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity.

Winning trainer Brad Cox, Essential Quality: “Luis put him in a good position. I was little nervous when I saw the :48, but look our horse ranged up at the half mile pole in a nice comfortable way. He showed up and ran his race. It was somewhat of a relief to get this race over with. The delay of the race, the track condition, just a lot of obstacles to overcome. Good horses do overcome, but it doesn't mean the trainer doesn't worry. We just want to wrap him in bubble wrap and get to the next race.”

Winning jockey Luis Saez, Essential Quality: “I'm so excited. I was very happy to be riding this horse. We were waiting a long time. What a talented horse. We knew the speed was to our outside. The plan was to try to follow him (Jackie's Warrior) the whole way. Everything came together. He broke pretty well and at the 5/8^th pole he took the bridle and was really pulling me, but I was waiting, just trying to wait with him. We came to the stretch just so easy. He switched leads and just took off. What a nice horse. He finished very strong and I still had a lot of horse.”

Trainer Bob Baffert, second with Spielberg: “After the start, Martin didn't panic. He stayed back there and rode his race. He was just moving a little (in the gate). But, you have to give credit to the winner. He's a good horse. I'm proud of the way (Spielberg) ran. He showed up. I'm very happy. Other than the gate, everything went well. He shipped well and he ran well.”

Jockey Martin Garcia, second on Spielberg: “He missed the break. I put him in the race and on the outside, I just followed the winner every step. When I asked him, he went, but the winner was already being asked. I think my horse will be better at 1 1/8 miles.”

The post Champion Essential Quality Returns With Victory Over Spielberg In Southwest appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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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.

The post Baffert Giving Spielberg ‘Another Chance’ On Derby Trail In Southwest appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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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.