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Baffert Looking For Spielberg To Supply Him A Ninth Victory In Robert B. Lewis Stakes

Should Bob Baffert win Saturday's Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., he could “retire the cup,” as the expression goes.

It would mark the third straight victory in the steppingstone to the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 3 for the two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer.

Baffert won the Lewis last year with Thousand Words and in 2019 with Mucho Gusto. Overall, he has won it a record eight times, dating back to 1999 with General Challenge.

Subsequent winners were Domestic Dispute (2003), Pioneerof the Nile (2009), Flashback (2013), Dortmund (2015), Mor Spirit (2016) and the aforementioned Mucho Gusto and Thousand Words.

First run in 1935 as the Santa Catalina Handicap, this will mark the 83^rd edition of the race, no matter its name or distance.

Baffert has two Triple Crown prospects nominated to the Lewis, but is likely to run only Spielberg, opting to wait and see how issues such as weather play out with Medina Spirit.

“Spielberg is definite, but Medina Spirit could run; I'm not certain,” Baffert said. “We're going to have a lot of rain next week so I'm not sure.” Both horses worked five furlongs Friday in the identical time of 1:01.20.

Spielberg won the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity at a mile and one-sixteenth by a desperate nose over Doug O'Neill's 33-1 longshot The Great One last Dec. 19 and has displayed an advantageous stalking style. The Great One came back to win on Saturday, Jan. 23, by 14 lengths.

“He's been immature but he's improving mentally,” Baffert said of the $1-million son of Union Rags owned by a partnership of SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, et al.

The Robert B. Lewis is named in honor of the late owner whose Silver Charm (co-owned with wife, Beverly) provided Bob Baffert with his first Kentucky Derby win in 1998. The Lewis's would also go on to win the 1999 Derby with the D. Wayne Lukas-trained Charismatic.

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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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Juvenile Runner-Up Hot Rod Charlie Revved Up For Lewis Stakes

Hot Rod Charlie may not win Santa Anita's Robert B. Lewis Stakes on Jan. 30, but one thing's for sure: he won't be 94-1.

He was dismissed at those boxcar odds in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Nov. 6 at Keeneland but outran them big time when beaten just three-quarters of a length by undefeated Essential Quality, who is expected to be crowned Eclipse Award king as outstanding two-year-old male on Jan. 28.

The Lewis is an early West Coast steppingstone to the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby April 3, and beyond that the Kentucky Derby. Decided at a mile and one-sixteenth, it offers 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner, four to the second-place finisher, two to the third horse and one to the fourth.

Doug O'Neill trains Hot Rod Charlie and another Lewis contender, Wipe the Slate, for principal client J. Paul Reddam who capitalized on the Lewis in 2012 as a successful conduit to victory in the Run for the Roses with I'll Have Another.

Wipe the Slate was an impressive maiden winner by 3 ¼ lengths under Team O'Neill mainstay Mario Gutierrez going seven furlongs in 1:23.42 on Dec. 26. O'Neill also has well-regarded maiden The Great One entered in Saturday's second race for non-winners at one mile.

A bay son of 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, The Great One was second by a nose at 33-1 to Spielberg in the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity last Dec. 19 and gets Lasix for the first time Saturday. He is Jon White's 7-5 morning line favorite in a field of five.

Joel Rosario rides Hot Rod Charlie in the Lewis, while Gutierrez, who won the Kentucky Derby for Reddam and O'Neill with I'll Have Another and Nyquist, returns on Wipe the Slate.

Hot Rod Charlie and Wipe the Slate each worked six furlongs Friday, the former going in 1:16.60 and the latter in a bullet 1:12.60, fastest of 13 drills at the distance.

“Both worked fantastic,” O'Neill said. Amir Cedeno was aboard Hot Rod Charlie while Gutierrez rode Wipe the Slate.

Hot Rod Charlie is listed at 30-1 in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wagering, while Wipe the Slate is last at 50-1 among individual horses. Unbeaten Bob Baffert trainee Life Is Good is the individual favorite at 6-1, while the category of “All Other 3-Year-Olds” is favored at 9-5.

“You can't win if you're not in, so we're hoping to win with at least one of our horses, and in a dream world, all three,” O'Neill said.

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