Charlatan puts in second work in five days

Charlatan, winner of the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds on Dec. 26, worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 on Wednesday, his second workout within a week at Santa Anita.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Charlatan is considered the early favorite for the $20 million Saudi Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 20. Knicks Go, winner of the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park last Saturday, also is being considered for the Saudi Cup, which is run at 1 1/8 miles.

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Charlatan has won 3 of 4 starts, but crossed the finish line in front in all four races. He won a division of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park last May, but was disqualified because of a medication violation. Charlatan did not race again until the seven-furlong Malibu at Santa Anita, winning by 4 1/4 lengths.

Charlatan worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 on Jan. 22.

With rain in the forecast, there were 257 works at Santa Anita on Wednesday, including the highly promising 3-year-old colt Life Is Good, who breezed a half-mile in 49.60 seconds.

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Life Is Good won the Grade 3 Sham Stakes on Jan. 2 to remain unbeaten after two starts. Wednesday’s workout was the second for Life Is Good since that race.

Also on Wednesday, Hot Rod Charlie had his final workout for Saturday’s Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita, going three furlongs in 37 seconds.

Hot Rod Charlie and Rombauer, second and fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 6 at Keeneland, are among eight expected runners in the $100,000 Lewis for 3-year-olds. Also expected to run are Spielberg, winner of the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 19; Medina Spirit, who was second in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes on Jan. 2 at Santa Anita; and Parnelli, Roman Centurian, Waspirant, and Wipe the Slate.