Messier dominates Robert Lewis Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Four starts into his career, Messier had promised a great deal, not quite delivered on all of it. Sure, he’d won twice, and finished second twice, even had a stakes win, but his loss in his two-turn debut in the Los Alamitos Futurity last month indicated he hadn’t quite reached the levels expected of him.

No more.

Messier on Sunday at Santa Anita looked like the colt his connections have thought all along. In a thoroughly dominating performance, he crushed four rivals in the Grade 3, $200,000 Robert Lewis Stakes, rolling to a 15-length victory in excellent time that stamps him as among the leaders of this 3-year-old crop. The 103 Beyer Speed Figure he earned is the highest by any member of his generation.

Leaders of the 3-year-old crop, of course, are intended for the Kentucky Derby. But Messier’s trainer, Bob Baffert, is currently barred from the May 7 race by Churchill Downs, and unless something changes on that front, if Messier’s large ownership group wants to run him in the Derby, they will have to move him to another barn in time to earn enough points to get into the Derby.

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The Robert Lewis would have been worth 10 points toward a Derby berth for Messier. Those points went unawarded. Anything Messier runs in next, though, be it here or Oaklawn, for instance, would be worth at least 50 points to the winner, and as many as 100 points. Decisions will need to be made, not quite yet, but soon.

Messier ($3.20), favored as he has been in all of his races to date, covered 1 1/16 miles on the fast main track in 1:42.89, excellent time over this main track. His final work for this race, one week earlier, was brilliant, and this time he ran like he trained.

Baffert removed blinkers for this race after experimenting with them, both on and off, in his previous races. They were added for the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity, but Messier did not run up to par. He’s also 0 for 2 now at Los Alamitos, 3 for 3 combined at Santa Anita and Del Mar.

“We’re learning more and more about the horse,” Baffert said. “I know one thing – he’ll never run at Los Al again.

“We’ve always been really high on the colt. You learn from your losses.”

Messier looked a picture in the saddling paddock.

“He’s growing. I could tell when I put the saddle on him,” Baffert said.

With an inside draw, Messier’s strategy was obvious. John Velazquez, aboard him for the first time, sent him to the front. He led through an opening quarter in 23.23 seconds and half in :46.94, with Sir London and Cabo Spirit applying pressure.

Sir London, who stumbled at the start but quickly recovered, was the first to yield, three furlongs from the wire. Cabo Spirit, ridden aggressively by Victor Espinoza to try and keep pace with Messier, stayed lapped on Messier until nearing the head of the lane, at which point Messier began to open up.

Messier covered six furlongs in 1:11.32, and a mile in 1:36.32. Cabo Spirit easily held second, seven lengths in front of Wharton, a second Baffert entrant. Sir London faded to fourth, and Happy Jack trailed throughout.

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“He has natural speed. Today, with the one hole, we had to go,” Baffert said. “He took a lot of heat. These are good horses. He has legitimate speed. If he was outside, and without blinkers, I think he could track.”

Messier is by Empire Maker out of the Smart Strike mare Checkered Past. He and Wharton were part of a large number of colts purchased as yearlings two years ago, and subsequently sent to Baffert, by the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan, Golconda Stable, and Siena Farm.

SF Racing’s Tom Ryan, who manages the partnership, said Messier was named for hockey great Mark Messier, who was an Edmonton Oiler teammate with Ryan’s father-in-law, Pat Hughes.

Mark Messier won six Stanley Cups. Hughes won three. This Messier ran like he’s of championship caliber, too. He won this early playoff round. Unlike the Stanley Cup playoffs, though, what happens next with this Messier is less defined.