Kangaroo Court, a 14 1/4-length maiden winner, returns off long layoff

Kangaroo Court was one of trainer Tim Yakteen’s top 2-year-olds at Del Mar last summer before the gelding was sidelined with a minor injury.

The stable’s roster has changed considerably since then, so much so that Kangaroo Court will be overshadowed on Saturday at Santa Anita when he has his 3-year-old debut in a six-furlong allowance race for California-breds at Santa Anita.

Later on the program, Yakteen has five of the 11 runners in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles, a prep for the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 8.

In the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes, Yakteen starts Practical Move, whom he saddled for an upset win in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity in December, and four other Triple Crown prospects previously trained by Bob Baffert – Fort Bragg, Hejazi, Mr Fisk and National Treasure.

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They were recently transferred to Yakteen to remain eligible for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 6. Baffert is ineligible to run horses in the Kentucky Derby this year following a suspension issued by Churchill Downs management in 2021. The two-year suspension was put in place after the Baffert-trained Medina Spirit was disqualified from his first-place finish in the 2021 Kentucky Derby because of a medication violation.

Kangaroo Court, owned by George Sharp, won a maiden race for statebreds at six furlongs by 14 1/4 lengths last August. Kangaroo Court was entered in the $125,000 I’m Smokin Stakes at Del Mar last September, but was withdrawn when Yakteen said the gelding was not 100 percent. Kangaroo Court has not raced since.

The allowance race on Saturday is designed as a prep for the $150,000 Echo Eddie Stakes for statebred 3-year-olds at 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita on April 8. Yakteen cautioned on Friday that Kangaroo Court has missed training time because of recent inclement weather in Southern California, and that several other runners in the field have the benefit of races this winter.

Kangaroo Court, who will be ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat, is part of a field of seven that includes Bus Buzz, the eight-length winner of a maiden race for statebreds at six furlongs for trainer Steve Knapp on Feb. 4. Catalina Eddy, second to Bus Buzz in his debut, is part of the allowance race field. Catalina Eddy, trained by Craig Lewis, returned to win a maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs on the flat turf course on Feb. 18.

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