Medina Spirit in spotlight for Santa Anita Derby

ARCADIA, Calif. - Of the 10 candidates for Saturday’s Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, Medina Spirit has had the best year, winning the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes and chasing Life Is Good in two other graded stakes.

With Life Is Good sidelined with injury, Medina Spirit has inherited the role of favorite for the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles. Bob Baffert trains both colts.

“He got the closest to Life Is Good,” Baffert said of Medina Spirit. “That’s something.

“He tries hard. He’s a fighter. He’s got a lot of heart.”

Medina Spirit finished second by three-quarters of a length to Life Is Good in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes at a mile on Jan. 2 in his stakes debut, won the Lewis Stakes on Jan. 30, and was second by eight lengths to Life Is Good in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 6.

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On Sunday, Medina Spirit worked a half-mile in 48 seconds in company with a stablemate. John Velazquez was aboard Medina Spirit in the San Felipe Stakes and has the mount in the Santa Anita Derby.

Medina Spirit’s status has risen in the Baffert stable in the last 10 days with the absence of Life Is Good, who recently had a bone chip removed from an ankle at a Kentucky clinic. Baffert plans to run Concert Tour and Hozier in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on April 10.

“Those are three nice horses,” Baffert said.

Medina Spirit, who races for Zedan Racing Stables, is by the Giant’s Causeway stallion Protonico and was purchased for $35,000 at a 2-year-olds in-training sale last year.

Currently, Medina Spirit ranks 15th on the qualifying points list for the Kentucky Derby. The first two finishers of the Santa Anita Derby earn 100 and 40 qualifying points, respectively. A win would assure Medina Spirit a berth, while a second would almost certainly be enough to gain a spot.

The 10 candidates for the Santa Anita Derby will be racing at 1 1/8 miles for the first time on Saturday, which Baffert said could lead to significant form changes.

“They’re starting to go farther,” Baffert said. “Everything changes. Look at Greatest Honour. He looked unbeatable.”

Greatest Honour finished third in the Grade 1, 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on Saturday as the 4-5 favorite. Greatest Honour is scheduled to have his next start in the Kentucky Derby.

The list of Santa Anita Derby candidates includes Dream Shake, Roman Centurian and The Great One, who were third through fifth in the San Felipe Stakes; Law Professor and Defunded, the winners of maiden special weight races on March 5 and 6; Rock Your World, who won the Pasadena Stakes on turf on Feb. 27; Parnelli, who was fifth in the Lewis; and Back Ring Luck and Ottothelegend, winners at Oaklawn Park in early March who have yet to start in a stakes.

Back Ring Luck was scheduled to join trainer John Sadler’s stable early this week when an assessment on his status for the Santa Anita Derby will be made. Sadler trains the unbeaten Rock Your World, who has yet to start on turf after winning his first two races on turf.

On Sunday, Rock Your World worked five furlongs in 59.20 seconds on dirt, the fastest of 76 works at the distance. Sadler said Rock Your World galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.80.

“He’s ready to run,” Sadler said.