Desert Gate stands out among Baffert quartet in American Pharoah
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ARCADIA, Calif. – Elite 2-year-olds trained by Bob Baffert come in waves, and the next set arrives Saturday in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita.
Baffert trains four of the six who are entered in the American Pharoah, a 1 1/16-mile race he has won a record 13 times, including the last four.
Baffert’s 2025 quartet comprises Desert Gate, the Grade 3 Best Pal winner and troubled runner-up in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity; Kristofferson, a highly rated debut winner; Plutarch, a late-running maiden who placed in a Grade 3 turf mile; and Balboa, a maiden winner who got dusted in the Futurity.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if any of them jumped up and won,” Baffert said.
Balboa is a reach, but his three others are legit.
Trainers Jeff Mullins and Doug O’Neill will aim for upsets in the American Pharoah, race 3 and a Win and You’re In for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Mullins starts Intrepido, a runaway maiden route winner; O’Neill starts Civil Liberty, a maiden who finished third in the Del Mar Futurity.
The American Pharoah and Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity on Saturday at Keeneland will determine Baffert’s BC Juvenile contingent. He sent Litmus Test to Keeneland. The one missing Saturday is Brant, winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity. Brant will train into the Breeders’ Cup.
“All the questions will be answered Saturday,” Baffert said. “They’re all doing well.”
Desert Gate is the most likely winner of the American Pharoah based on his runner-up finish in the seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity. He stumbled at the break, lost position, and rallied to second. Desert Gate was best. The question Saturday is distance.
“He acts like he’ll go two turns. He’s always been a nice horse,” Baffert said. “He’s a beautiful horse, he moves nice.”
Desert Gate, the program favorite, will be ridden by Juan Hernandez.
Kristofferson led gate to wire in his debut at six furlongs, earning a 90 Beyer Speed Figure.
“He’s a big, long-jumping horse, and I think the farther, the better,” Baffert said. “He’s definitely a two-turn horse.”
Kristofferson was ridden first out by Hernandez; Mike Smith rides him Saturday.
Plutarch could be the spoiler. The maiden has two routes under his belt, runner-up in a maiden dirt race and Grade 3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf.
“He was really green into the stretch. It looked like if he would have straightened out, he might have won,” Baffert said.
“I think he’s waking up right now,” Baffert added. “Two turns, we know he’ll get it.”
Kazushi Kimura rides Plutarch, who was ridden last out by Hernandez. Balboa would be the first Baffert-trained winner ridden by Umberto Rispoli.
Intrepido commands respect based on his maiden win at Del Mar, a dirt mile that marked an improvement over his fourth-place sprint debut. Mullins-trained maidens generally improve with racing.
“It’s always a schooling race first time out,” Mullins said.
Making his second start in a route, Intrepido showed surprising speed and virtually wired the field to win by more than three lengths with an 84 Beyer. The pace was soft, but Intrepido did it the right way.
“I didn’t really expect him to go to the lead like that, but it seemed to work out all right,” Mullins said. “I’d rather see him sit off the pace a little bit. I don’t really want to see him in a dogfight on the lead.”
Hector Berrios rides Intrepido.
Intrepido “obviously has something to prove, I think they all do,” Mullins said. “I think he’s a good horse. He’s got that kind of mind that if [Berrios] needs to rate him, he can.”
Civil Liberty, third in the Del Mar Futurity, would be the first maiden to win the American Pharoah since 2013, when Bond Holder scored a $23.80 upset. Like the maiden Civil Liberty, Bond Holder was trained by O’Neill.
The American Pharoah is one of five stakes Saturday. The Grade 3 Chillingworth for female sprinters including Tamara is race 2. The Grade 2 Rodeo Drive for filly-mare turf runners including Alpha Bella is race 8. The Grade 2 Oak Leaf Stakes for 2-year-old fillies including La Wally is race 9. The $100,000 Speakeasy for 2-year-old turf sprinters is race 10.
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