Concert Tour shows shades of Nadal in winning San Vicente

ARCADIA, Calif. – Concert Tour won his first start in mid-January, and on Saturday he returned, three weeks later, to win the Grade 2, $200,000 San Vicente Stakes for 3-year-olds, both at Santa Anita. That’s the same itinerary to date as Nadal, who stretched out in his third start before winning a Grade 1 race on the first Saturday in May last year.

Bob Baffert, who trains both colts, is certainly hoping Concert Tour can follow that pattern. So far, so good. Concert Tour captured the San Vicente on Saturday after a tough stretch drive with stablemate Freedom Fighter, who put up a battle before yielding late.

Now, Concert Tour will go two turns.

“He’s ready to stretch out now,” Baffert said.

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Whether Concert Tour does that here at Santa Anita, or, like Nadal – who won a division of the Arkansas Derby - at Oaklawn Park, remains to be seen. Baffert has a number of prospects he’s trying to move on toward the Kentucky Derby on May 1, and if he can keep them apart while maintaining a prep schedule that makes sense, he will. It’s not his first rodeo.

Concert Tour ($2.80) was heavily favored against four rivals following his debut win Jan. 15, and his cause was aided Saturday by drawing the cozy outside post in the seven-furlong race. Baffert told jockey Joel Rosario, “Today is the day to teach him something,” so when Freedom Fighter rolled to the lead, Rosario tried to get Concert Tour to sit off him.

Concert Tour was keen – causing Baffert after the race to say he may remove blinkers next time – but he got a stalking trip and looked ready to inhale Freedom Fighter midway on the turn.

Freedom Fighter had a different agenda. He staved off Concert Tour until the final furlong, when Concert Tour wore him down to prevail by a half-length.

“He showed a lot of heart and determination,” Baffert said. “For a moment I didn’t think he was going to go by.”

The Chosen Vron, who came up inside Freedom Fighter into the far turn but looked uncomfortable there, sucked back but then re-engaged and finished third. Found My Ball and Uncle Boogie completed the field. Mr. Impossible was scratched in favor of a maiden race Sunday.

Concert Tour completed seven furlongs on the fast main track in 1:24.06, with a final furlong in 13.5 seconds. Freedom Fighter set splits of 23.41 seconds for the quarter and :45.98 for the half on a main track that has been demanding of late.

Concert Tour, by Street Sense, was bred and is owned by Gary and Mary West, whose Maximum Security was disqualified from a Derby win in 2019 for interference. Concert Tour earned a first prize of $120,000 Saturday. The San Vicente does not offer points toward a Derby berth. The last San Vicente winner to go on and win the Kentucky Derby was Nyquist in 2016.

The San Vicente marked the fourth straight graded stakes for 3-year-olds on this circuit won by Baffert, with four different horses, following Spielberg in the Los Alamitos Futurity, Life Is Good in the Sham, and Medina Spirit in the Robert Lewis.