Mucho Gusto earns trip to Haskell with Affirmed victory

ARCADIA, Calif. – Mucho Gusto won consecutive stakes for the first time in his career in Sunday’s Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita.

In doing so, the colt likely earned a trip to the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 20, one of the nation’s premier summertime stakes for 3-year-olds.

Trainer Bob Baffert said in the winner’s circle that he saw enough from Mucho Gusto’s patient performance under jockey Joe Talamo in the $100,351 Affirmed Stakes to run him in the $1 million Haskell at 1 1/8 miles.

“I told Joe before the race, ‘If we’re ever going to take a shot at the higher purses, this horse needs to learn how to rate,’” Baffert said. “I think he’s getting better.

“We’ll take a shot at the Haskell. I think it would be a good spot for a horse like this.”

Mucho Gusto (9-5) closed from fourth of six with a wide rally to win the Affirmed Stakes at 1 1/16 miles by 2 1/4 lengths over Roadster. The even-money favorite, Roadster won the Santa Anita Derby in April and was 15th in the Kentucky Derby for Baffert on May 4.

After the Affirmed, Baffert said he did not have any race plans for Roadster, who he said should benefit from a start in the Affirmed.

“Roadster is not quite where I’d like to have him,” Baffert said. “He’ll move forward.

“The Derby was so bad. He needed something positive.”

Mucho Gusto, by Mucho Macho Man, has won 5 of 7 starts and earned $430,800 for Michael Petersen. Earlier this year, Mucho Gusto won the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes on Feb. 2, faded to finish third after setting a quick pace in the Grade 3 Sunland Derby in New Mexico on March 24, and won the Grade 3 Lazaro Barrera Stakes as a pacesetter here on May 18.

“The race at Sunland set him back because he went so fast,” Baffert said. “We wanted to see if he could sit off a horse. I think he’s developing.”