Santa Anita: Baffert points Midnight Hawk to Robert Lewis Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – The unbeaten 3-year-old stakes winners Midnight Hawk and Indianapolis are being pointed to graded stakes at Santa Anita, trainer Bob Baffert said Wednesday.

Midnight Hawk, winner of the Grade 3 Sham Stakes on Jan. 11, is tentatively scheduled to run in the $200,000 Robert B. Lewis over 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 8.

Also scheduled for the Lewis is newly minted 2-year-old male champion Shared Belief.

“I think he’ll run there,” Baffert said. “I’ll know a week before, but that’s an option.”

Baffert said another possibility for Midnight Hawk is the $300,000 Southwest Stakes over 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 17.

By Midnight Lute, Midnight Hawk beat maidens at Hollywood Park on Dec. 13 and won the one-mile Sham Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths against three rivals.

Indianapolis remained unbeaten after two races with a win in Monday’s San Pedro Stakes over six furlongs in a four-horse field. Baffert said Indianapolis will start in the $200,000 San Vicente Stakes over seven furlongs Feb. 16.

The Lewis field is likely to include El Nino Terrible, winner of a maiden special weight race over 1 1/16 miles on Jan. 17, trainer Peter Miller said last weekend.

“We’ll consider it, but it’s a little quick back,” Miller said.

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The maiden race winners Bayern and Tap It Rich have missed training time due to recent illnesses, Baffert said. Bayern won a maiden special weight race over seven furlongs by 3 1/4 lengths in his debut Jan. 4.

Tap It Rich beat maidens in his debut here in October but was fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and 11th in the CashCall Futurity after breaking slowly and racing erratically.

Baffert said Tap It Rich was treated with medicine that will eliminate him from consideration for the Grade 2 Lewis Stakes.

“I was going to run him in the Lewis, but I had to hit him with the penicillin,” Baffert said. “The older he gets, the better he’ll be.”

VanDyke gets fifth win

Apprentice jockey Drayden VanDyke won the fifth race of his career last Sunday aboard Creditcardroulette and will now claim a seven-pound allowance.

VanDyke, 19, will ride with a seven-pound claim until his 35th winner, when it will be reduced to five pounds. VanDyke won the first race of his career at Hollywood Park on Nov. 21. Creditcardroulette was his third winner of the current meeting.

On Friday’s eight-race card, VanDyke has one mount, Legacy in the third race.

Secret Circle eyes Palos Verdes

Secret Circle, winner of the BC Sprint in his most recent start Nov. 2, worked six furlongs in 1:11.80 on Tuesday. Trained by Baffert, Secret Circle will make his 2014 debut in the $200,000 Palos Verdes Stakes over six furlongs Feb. 2, a race also expected to draw Sahara Sky.

Secret Circle and Sahara Sky were finalists for the Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding sprinter of 2013. The award went to Points Offthebench.

Game On Dude, a finalist for the Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding older male of 2013, worked six furlongs in 1:12.20 on Tuesday. He will be favored to win his 2014 debut in the $300,000 San Antonio Stakes on Feb. 8.