Santa Anita: Kobe's Back regroups sprinting in San Vicente

ARCADIA, Calif. – Last Sunday morning at Santa Anita, the day after winning the Robert Lewis Stakes with Candy Boy, trainer John Sadler was reviewing the status of his top three 3-year-olds. Candy Boy had risen to the top of the list, and Kristo wasn’t too far behind, having finished second in the Sham Stakes last month.

Kobe’s Back seemed more a mystery. The first of Sadler’s prospects to get to the races, last June at Hollywood Park, Kobe’s Back certainly had shown precocity, winning first time out, but was coming off an unsatisfying effort in the CashCall Futurity, his first try around two turns. Sadler had decided to regroup and point to this Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 San Vicente Stakes, requiring a turn-back to seven furlongs. Was that an indication that Sadler thought two turns was beyond his scope? Not at all.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

“I do think he’ll handle it,” Sadler said. “This was strictly a matter of trying to separate horses owned by the same owner.”

Both Candy Boy and Kobe’s Back are owned by the C R K Stable of Lee Searing. Candy Boy did his part last week to continue on the trail toward the May 3 Kentucky Derby. Now it will be Kobe’s Back’s turn to show he belongs.

Kobe’s Back drew the outside post of the six runners entered in the San Vicente, which goes as the fifth of nine races on Sunday’s card at Santa Anita. He should be afforded a clean journey from there after a compromised trip in the CashCall Futurity, in which stablemate Candy’s Boy dropped over on Kobe’s Back heading into the far turn, causing Kobe’s Back to clip heels, stumble badly, and then retreat, finishing 10th of 12 after starting from the outside post going 1 1/16 miles.

“He almost went down,” Sadler said. “And he had an impossible post.”

Jockey Joel Rosario was willing to give him a pass. He rode Kobe’s Back in the CashCall Futurity and is flying back to California for the San Vicente, beginning a stretch in which Rosario will ride three 3-year-olds in three stakes at three different tracks in seven days. Rosario heads to Oaklawn on Monday to ride Strong Mandate in the Southwest and rides Top Billing next Saturday in the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream.

For Kobe’s Back to prevail Sunday, he will have to run down Cherubim, who looks like the controlling speed. Cherubim was a fast winner against maidens Dec. 28, and that race has proven live, with both second-place finisher Chelios and third-place finisher Pimpernel winning subsequent starts.

Roger Rocket rallied to beat maidens in his debut Jan. 18. Papa Turf was second to Indianapolis in the six-furlong San Pedro last month. Unbeaten Grazen’s Hope tries dirt for the first time. Rprettyboyfloyd is winless in two starts, but was second both times to very promising runners, Chelios and Bayern.