Greenwich Village's versatility gives Baffert options in Pasadena; $40,088 pick six carryover

ARCADIA, Calif. – Greenwich Village will have plenty of chances to prove he is more than just a turf horse, but for now, his turf description suits him just fine.

Fresh from a last-to-first win in a hillside sprint stakes, Greenwich Village stretches to a mile on turf Sunday at Santa Anita in the $100,000 Pasadena Stakes for 3-year-olds. Eleven are entered, but just 10 can start.

There will be a pick six carryover of $40,088. The sequence begins in Race 5.

Rivals for Greenwich Village include Grade 3 winner Unrivaled Time, California-bred stakes winners Sammy Davis and Smoovin Saturday, and sprint stakes winner Later Than Planned. Others in the field are Caro Buono, Brigante, Army Man, Iriseach, Medici, and also-eligible Bust Out.

Bob Baffert trains Greenwich Village, who won his debut at Los Alamitos before wilting in a pace duel in the Grade 3 San Vicente on dirt at Santa Anita. Greenwich Village needed to ration his speed, and he wheeled back 15 days later and moved to turf for the $100,000 Baffle Stakes on Jan. 25 on the Santa Anita hill.

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Baffert’s instructions to jockey Juan Hernandez were clear: “Just break, grab him, and sit – just sit.”

Hernandez rode to plan. Greenwich Village dropped to last and unleashed a strong late rally to win the sprint by a neck.

“It was an experiment, and it worked,” Baffert said. “I don’t think he’s just a grass horse, but you can’t do that [take a horse back] on the dirt.”

While winning his first stakes, Greenwich Village also got an education.

Greenwich Village, by Quality Road, is racing two turns for the first time Sunday. The last three Pasadena winners were stretching out from the Baffle. Favorites have won the Pasadena the last four years and seven of the last 10.

It is unclear where Greenwich Village will be positioned in the Pasadena. He has speed if he needs it, but his rally in the Baffle suggests an off-the-pace strategy is again an option.

Unrivaled Time had a bad trip last out in the Eddie Logan Stakes. Winner of the Grade 3 Cecile B. DeMille Stakes on Nov. 30 at Del Mar, Unrivaled Time had no chance in the Logan. He was shuffled and wide, trailed slow fractions, and went one-paced late. The race was a toss.

Leonard Powell trains Unrivaled Time, who would benefit from a quicker tempo in the Pasadena. Diego Herrera rides Unrivaled Time, a California-bred by Kentucky stallion Not This Time.

Sammy Davis finished second in the California Cup Derby last out after setting and pressing slow fractions. Although distance remains a question for the gelding, trainer John Sadler thinks Sammy Davis can improve on turf. He is by Sir Prancealot and a sibling to stakes-placed turf runner Cali Cat. Sammy Davis won the Graduation Stakes for California-bred 2-year-olds last summer at Del Mar.

Smoovin Saturday won the King Glorious Stakes in December at Los Alamitos, then split the field in the Cal Cup Derby. Smoovin Saturday, trained by Michael McCarthy and ridden by Ricky Gonzalez, is on turf for the first time.

Although he is by below-average turf sire I’ll Have Another, Smoovin Saturday’s dam is stakes-winning turf mare Smoove. Turf might be okay.

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