McKinzie in a good place for Santa Anita Handicap

ARCADIA, Calif. – The postponement of the Santa Anita Handicap to April 6 is working out fine for presumptive favorite McKinzie, who will share the spotlight on the same card with Santa Anita Derby-bound stablemates Roadster and Game Winner.

Based on early-morning workouts for trainer Bob Baffert on Tuesday at Santa Anita, McKinzie and Roadster will enter the Grade 1 races in peak form.

McKinzie was the first horse to work following the 6:30 a.m. Tuesday renovation, and looked super. Working alone under Joe Talamo, McKinzie worked seven furlongs and was credited with a six-furlong time of 1:13.40.

“Terrific,” Baffert said. “He couldn’t be doing any better right now. We’re pointing for the Big Cap.”

McKinzie finished second as the odds-on favorite last out in the Grade 2 San Pasqual here on Feb. 2. A sloppy track and an uncomfortable trip compromised McKinzie, who is the 123-pound topweight for the 1 1/4-mile Big Cap, which was postponed from March 9.

Roadster worked minutes later by himself, going five furlongs in 1:01.80 under Drayden Van Dyke.

“He looked great,” Baffert said. “He finished up really well.”

Roadster, who scored a visually impressive comeback victory March 1 in a first-level allowance mile, will join Game Winner in the Santa Anita Derby.

Tuesday workouts at Santa Anita were completed without incident. The Baffert-trained sprint filly Dream Tree posted the fastest five-furlong work, 1:00.20.

Noble Commander, who would have been a contender Saturday at Fair Grounds in the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap, will stay home and tackle McKinzie and Gift Box in the Big Cap.

Mark Martinez, whose stable name is Agave Racing Stable, purchased Noble Commander early this year for $135,000 at a horses-in-training sale. Since shipping to California and being transferred to trainer Phil D’Amato, the 4-year-old has worked particularly well.

Noble Commander worked six furlongs Tuesday in 1:15.20 under Flavien Prat.

“Flavien was happy, and thought the extra distance would not be a problem,” D’Amato said.

A 4-year-old by Forestry, Noble Commander has won 3 of 6 starts.

* River Boyne, a multiple graded stakes winner on turf, worked five furlongs on the training track Tuesday in 1:02 and is under consideration for the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile on March 30. Trained by Jeff Mullins, River Boyne would need a new rider if he goes in the Kilroe, because regular rider Flavien Prat will be in Dubai.

* Dabster did not make the flight to Dubai for the $12 million Dubai World Cup after coming down with a temperature last week.