Muth has no trouble with San Vicente Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - Muth, a finalist for the Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding 2-year-old of 2023, performed as expected in his 3-year-old debut on Saturday, easily beating five rivals in Saturday’s Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita.

Ridden confidently by Juan Hernandez, the heavily favored Muth ($2.80) closed from third to take the lead in early stretch before pulling clear to win by 2 3/4 lengths over 5-2 Pilot Commander.

The first two finishers are trained by Bob Baffert, who won the San Vicente for the 13th time on Saturday.

Muth ran seven furlongs in 1:23.01 in his first start since he finished a well-beaten second to Eclipse finalist Fierceness in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile here in November. Muth earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 91 in the San Vicente.

Hernandez, who has been aboard Muth for all five of his starts, said the colt was a patient runner behind early leader Slider and Pilot Commander.

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“He has a lot of class,” Hernandez said. “I think he’s learning how to run. He broke quickly and he relaxed well behind those horses.

“I was comfortable on the outside and in the clear. That’s where I wanted to be. Coming to the quarter-pole, I asked him to swing out. He responded.”

Slider, winner of the Speakeasy Stakes at five furlongs on turf in October and the ninth-place finisher in the BC Juvenile Turf Sprint in November, had his stakes debut on dirt in the $200,500 San Vicente.

Slider set early fractions of 22.88 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.27 for a half-mile, leading by a half-length over Pilot Commander.

Pilot Commander, ridden by Flavien Prat, was two-wide outside of Slider on the turn, with Muth racing three-wide. Pilot Commander led briefly on the turn before he was caught quickly by Muth in early stretch.

The San Vicente was Pilot Commander’s second start. He won a maiden race at six furlongs at Del Mar on Nov. 11.

“He showed a ton of speed out of the gate,” Prat said. “I thought it was a good run.”

Pilot Commander finished a head in front of 8-1 Slider, who was followed by Boltage, Moonlit Sonata and Formidable Man in the field of six.

Muth, owned by Amr Zedan, has won 3 of 5 starts and earned $716,600. Muth won the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Oct. 7 before his loss in the BC Juvenile.

Baffert, who did not state an immediate race goal for Muth in the winner’s circle, said the colt’s experience in 2023 was a benefit in the San Vicente.

“Muth has got all those races,” Baffert said. “He sat patiently and let the others do the heavy lifting.”

By Good Magic, Muth was purchased for $2 million last March, the most expensive hip of the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ Sale’s March Sale of 2-year-olds in-training.

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