Honor and Courage, Reach the World on Triple Crown launch pad

ARCADIA, Calif. – There is a significant chance that Honor and Courage or Reach the World will win a $54,000 maiden special weight race for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles in Saturday’s first race at Santa Anita.

Then, the expectations will truly soar. Both colts have been nominated to the Triple Crown and are held in high regard by their respective trainers, Jerry Hollendorfer and Bob Baffert.

Honor and Courage was beaten a nose by Sheer Flattery in a maiden race at 1 1/16 miles Dec. 31. Sheer Flattery starts in Saturday’s $150,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita.

Owned by Rick Porter, Honor and Courage was bought for $500,000 as a yearling.

“We think he’s improving,” Hollendorfer said. “We think he’ll be a good horse.”

Reach the World was beaten a length in his debut in a maiden special weight race at a mile Jan. 16, racing in traffic on the turn before finishing a length behind the Baffert-trained Dabster. Reach the World races for owner and breeder Don Alberto Stable.

“It was a good race for him,” Baffert said of the Jan. 16 race. “He’ll have to move forward. He learned a lot.”

Honor and Courage and Reach the World are part of a field of six that includes Sonneteer, who was fourth in the $100,000 California Derby at Golden Gate Fields on Jan. 21 in his sixth start.

The other runners are Cats Blame, Lucky Bode, and Marq One, who have finished second or third in maiden races.