Mor Spirit drills five furlongs for Santa Anita Derby

Mor Spirit, a two-time stakes winner and a leading West Coast contender for the Triple Crown, worked five furlongs in 59 seconds at Santa Anita on Wednesday in preparation for the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 9.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Mor Spirit worked the opening quarter-mile in 23.20 seconds and a half-mile in 47.20 seconds, according to Santa Anita clockers.

“He broke off way behind a horse and went well,” Baffert said. “I was happy with it. Everything looks good. I’ve been lucky with the weather. I get to train him the way I want to.”

Baffert said he timed Mor Spirit galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.20.

Owned by Michael Lund Petersen, Mor Spirit has won 3 of 6 starts and earned $458,400. A ridgling by Eskendereya, Mor Spirit won the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity last December and the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 6 before finishing second to Danzing Candy in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 12.

Danzing Candy and Mor Spirit are part of a Santa Anita Derby field projected to include Denman’s Call, Exaggerator, Iron Rob, Smokey Image, and Uncle Lino.

The Santa Anita Derby is run at 1 1/8 miles.