Fast-finishing Earls Rock looks tough in Baffle Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Who knew a turf sprint for 3-year-olds – a niche category if ever there was one – would be as deep as the $75,000 Baffle Stakes on Friday at Santa Anita?

Nine entrants include graded winners Weston and Beer Can Man, graded stakes-placed Commander Khai, and allowance winners Exhalting and Mac Daddy Too. But when all is said and done, a lightly raced maiden winner looks tough to beat.

Earls Rock’s dazzling U.S. debut – he smoked a final quarter in 22.86 seconds, second-fastest of the meet at a mile on turf – stamps the Irish-bred as likely favorite in the 6 1/2-furlong Baffle. What’s scary is Earls Rock has improved since then, according to his trainer.

“He’s definitely moved forward since his race,” Phil D’Amato said. “He trained well going into the race, but he’s training even better post race.”

Earls Rock was no secret his first start for D’Amato and owner Anthony Fanticola. Runner-up to a next-out Group 3 winner in his only start in Ireland, Earls Rock crushed California maidens by more than four lengths as the 9-5 favorite on Jan. 9.

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Aside from tougher competition in the Baffle, Earls Rock shortens from one mile to 6 1/2 furlongs. D’Amato acknowledges the colt might prefer longer, but said “he’s so sharp right now, and six and a half on the flat plays more like a seven-furlong race.”

Five of the seven turf sprints at the Baffle distance were won from the middle or back of the field. Late speed is powerful, and no horse in the Baffle lineup has finished as fast as Earls Rock, who will be ridden again by Flavien Prat. Earls Rock could become the first favorite to win a 6 1/2-furlong turf race this winter.

Fanticola, who co-owned multiple Grade 1 winner and $2.3 million earner Obviously, purchased Earls Rock after his debut in Ireland. Beer Can Man was purchased privately also, by Little Red Feather Racing and Sterling Stables, after maiden and allowance turf sprint wins at Indiana Downs.

In his first California start and first for trainer Mark Glatt, Beer Can Man upset the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille at a mile on turf at Del Mar. But his next start was an ordinary third in the one-mile Eddie Logan at Santa Anita. Glatt suspects Beer Can Man prefers one turn.

“I think at the end of the day, he’s a sprinter on grass,” Glatt said. “The way he’s built and everything, he certainly looks like a sprinter.”

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Beer Man Can drew the outside post in the Baffle and could get a great trip positioned right behind the pace likely to be contested by front-runners Weston, Commander Khai, and Exhalting. Beer Man Can’s rider is meet leader Juan Hernandez.

Weston drops, shortens up, and changes surfaces after briefly emerging as a top dirt 2-year-old last summer. Ryan Hanson trains Weston, winner of the Grade 2 Best Pal at Del Mar and third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity followed by two off-the-board finishes. Sired by Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Hit It a Bomb, Weston has worked fast for his first start since finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity in December. Tyler Baze rides.

Sword Zorro, from Ireland, makes his U.S. debut for trainer John Sadler, who trained the colt’s sibling Shines Her Light for the same owner, Yuesheng Zhang. Shines Her Light won her U.S. debut at 13-1 in a maiden turf sprint last February at Santa Anita, but Sadler believes Sword Zorro probably wants longer than 6 1/2 furlongs.

“He’s a nice horse, and well-regarded,” Sadler said. “We entered in a N1X mile on grass, but it didn’t go. This is a good starting-off point, six and a half. It is going to play like seven.”

Joel Rosario rides Sword Zorro, who won 1 of 5 starts last year in Ireland.

The natural progression from the Baffle is the $100,000 Pasadena Stakes, a mile turf race for 3-year-olds on Feb. 27. Early contenders for the Pasadena include D’Amato-trained Eddie Logan winner Cathkin Peak and Sadler-trained Rock Your World, a visually impressive winner on Jan. 1.

Prior to Earls Rock in the seventh race Friday, D’Amato starts a handful of live contenders. Coulthard makes his U.S. debut in race 1, as D’Amato seeks his fourth straight win by a maiden making his U.S. debut. Witch Moon makes her California debut for D’Amato in race 5, a maiden turf mile. He also entered dropper King Abner in race 6.