Mucho Gusto steps forward again in Affirmed

ARCADIA, Calif. – Mucho Gusto has been at the back of trainer Bob Baffert’s queue of 3-year-olds this year overshadowed by stablemates such as Roadster, Improbable, and Game Winner.

Mucho Gusto’s position in the rankings may be changing.

Sunday, Mucho Gusto won his third Grade 3 stakes of the year, and fourth of his career, in the $100,351 Affirmed Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita. The win left jockey Joe Talamo impressed by the colt’s patience and had Baffert planning a start in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational Stakes at Monmouth Park on July 20.

The 9-5 second choice, Mucho Gusto closed from fourth in a field of six to win the Affirmed Stakes over even-money favorite Roadster, who finished 15th in the Kentucky Derby for Baffert.

In the Affirmed, Mucho Gusto was wide throughout – three wide on the turns and four wide on the backstretch – before taking the lead in early stretch.

“He broke sharp and he was full of run,” Talamo said.

Mucho Gusto led by two lengths with a furlong remaining and won by 2 1/4 lengths over Roadster in 1:45.15. He earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 95. Visitant, the winner of the Alcatraz Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on May 19, finished third in his graded stakes debut.

Manhattan Up finished fourth, followed by Kingly and Always Forgiven.

The Affirmed Stakes was Roadster’s first start at Santa Anita since a win in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 6. Sunday, Roadster was fifth in the first half-mile and closed well under jockey Mike Smith to finish a clear second.

“The winner was great,” Smith said of Mucho Gusto. “He’s really very good right now.”

Smith rode Roadster in the Santa Anita Derby, and expects the colt to improve from the Affirmed Stakes.

“He might need a race to get back to where he wants to be,” Smith said. “This race should do him some good.”

Mucho Gusto won the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles here in February from a stalking position and the Grade 3 Laz Barrera Stakes at seven furlongs as the pacesetter.

Mucho Gusto has won 5 of 7 starts and earned $430,800. By Mucho Macho Man, Mucho Gusto races for Michael Petersen and was purchased for $625,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in-training in May 2018.