Santa Anita: Super Ninety Nine and Den's Legacy look back on track

ARCADIA, Calif. – Den’s Legacy and Super Ninety Nine have been on the same springtime schedule in recent weeks.

They were third and fifth in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 16 for trainer Bob Baffert. Thursday at Santa Anita, they worked a half-mile in company, with Den’s Legacy setting the fastest time of the morning, at 47 seconds, and Super Ninety Nine going a tick slower, at 47.20.

They will part ways in coming weeks. Super Ninety Nine is part of Baffert’s three hopes for the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 6.

Den’s Legacy is bound for the $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on April 13.

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While Super Ninety Nine and Den’s Legacy were disappointments in the Rebel, Baffert said that Thursday’s workouts showed they had recovered.

“It looks like they snapped out of their races,” he said.

Baffert said that Super Ninety Nine’s performance in the Rebel, a loss by 8 1/4 lengths to Will Take Charge as the 6-5 favorite, was a puzzler, especially since he had won the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes over that track by 11 1/4 lengths on Feb. 18.

“I don’t know what happened,” Baffert said. “It was a gutter ball.”

Den’s Legacy’s work Thursday left Baffert enthused. The colt has been second or third in four consecutive graded stakes since winning the Grade 3 Generous Stakes on turf at Betfair Hollywood Park last November.

“He looked very good,” Baffert said. “It’s all systems go.”

The Santa Anita Derby field has seven probable starters, led by Hear the Ghost and the Baffert-trained Flashback, the first two finishers of the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 9. Other probable starters are Tiz a Minister and Goldencents, third and fourth in the San Felipe; Power Broker, who has not started since finishing fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last November; and the maiden race winner Storm Fighter.