Four-horse Robert B. Lewis is all Baffert
ARCADIA, Calif. – A single trainer rarely controls a division as thoroughly as Bob Baffert controls California 3-year-olds. The situation reaches an extreme on Saturday at Santa Anita.
The Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes drew four entrants, all trained by Baffert, continuing a months-long trend. Baffert-trained colts foaled in 2020 won 18 of the 22 non-restricted special-weight maiden dirt races in Southern California since Del Mar last summer, and 7 of 8 dirt stakes.
Baffert’s eighth stakes win in the division will be provided Saturday by either Arabian Lion, Newgate, Worcester, or Hard to Figure. Four horses, three owners, two turns, one trainer, and zero qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby. As of midweek, Baffert trainees are barred from earning points or racing at Churchill Downs.
The mile and a sixteenth Lewis is race 3 on Saturday. Arabian Lion will add blinkers trying to rebound from an odds-on last-place finish in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity; Newgate finished second in the Grade 3 Sham; Worcester is a maiden stretching out from a 94-Beyer runner-up finish; longshot Hard to Figure also adds blinkers.
Baffert offered no alibi for Arabian Lion’s misfire Dec. 17 at Los Alamitos, which followed two highly rated sprints – a debut win at Santa Anita and runner-up in a Keeneland allowance. Arabian Lion wore blinkers in his debut; he did not wear them in either subsequent defeat.
“Taking the blinkers off, I don’t know if he lost focus or something, so the blinkers are going back on,” Baffert said. “We’ll see how he responds.”
Arabian Lion wore blinkers Sunday in a five-furlong team work, a 58.80 bullet perhaps quicker than preferred six days before the Lewis. John Velazquez rides Arabian Lion, a Justify colt owned by Zedan Racing. The Lewis may determine Arabian Lion’s campaign – two turns or sprint.
Newgate is the most accomplished entrant. His five starts include a pair of Grade 3 seconds, including the one-mile Sham Stakes on Jan. 8.
“The horse is getting stronger, and I think he learned a lot [in the Sham],” Baffert said. “Frankie [Dettori] really taught him something.”
Newgate is quick, but Dettori rationed the colt’s speed in the Sham. He settled in last, rallied from behind a blistering pace, but could not get past front-running winner Reincarnate. Newgate basically hung the length of the lane. The unanswered question is whether Newgate really wants two turns.
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Newgate is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, or Madaket Stables, a partnership that also owns Worcester. Although he is a two-start maiden, Worcester is fast based on the figure he earned finishing second in a sprint last out. He is bred to route, sired by Empire Maker. “He needs to go long,” Baffert said.
Juan Hernandez rides Worcester.
Hard to Figure also adds blinkers after he veered out and got rank finishing last Nov. 20 in a Grade 3 sprint at Del Mar. Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, Hard to Figure’s rider is Ramon Vazquez. The Lewis pace is likely to be set by Hard to Figure or Arabian Lion.
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