True North: Baby Yoda strikes again at the Spa

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – “He likes the racetrack,” trainer Bill Mott said after Baby Yoda put the field to the lightsaber at Saratoga in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 True North Stakes for 4-year-olds and upward at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Talk about an understatement.

After all, Baby Yoda won twice here during the summer of 2021, including a first-level allowance victory that produced a 114 Beyer Speed Figure.

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That year, only one other horse equaled or eclipsed that speed figure, and that was superhorse Flightline, who popped a 114 Beyer in a similar first-level allowance at Del Mar the day after Baby Yoda’s fast win.

Flightline also earned a 116 Beyer at Santa Anita during the winter when beating runner-up Baby Yoda by 11 1/2 lengths in the Grade 1 Malibu.

Baby Yoda notched a second-level allowance here in 2022, and although he only finished third in his sole Saratoga appearance last summer, he relished his return to the Spa this afternoon.

In the True North, Baby Yoda broke sweetly and pushed the pace outside of Gun It through an opening quarter of 21.94 seconds.

Baby Yoda continued his advance from the two path and in between as Rotknee loomed outside after a half-mile clocking of 44.04, but jockey Eric Cancel dropped his hands, and the race was over.

Baby Yoda grabbed the lead turning for home, and never let go, sprinting under the wire six lengths better than Ninetyprcentmaddie after 1:14.62 over the very fast track to get a 102 Beyer Speed Figure.

Odds-on favorite Gun Pilot was another length back in third. Then came Rotknee, the expected pacesetter who didn’t break with his usual alacrity, Twenty Four Mamba, Gun It, and Accretive.

“He was very comfortable,” Cancel said in the winner’s circle. “I had him in a great spot. He was just happy. I didn’t want to get in his way. I wanted to keep him as smooth as possible. He was very comfortable where he was, and when I asked him, he responded.”

“I was a little surprised he was as close as he was,” Mott said. “I thought there was maybe a little more speed in the race than that, but he broke well and he put himself in it.”

Trainer Butch Reid was very pleased with Ninetyprcentmaddie’s performance considering the speedy way the racetrack was playing. “He got a little jammed up on the inside. [Jose Lezcano] did a great job in recognizing that and went around the outside.”

Gun Pilot entered off a Grade 1 win in the Churchill Downs Stakes on the Kentucky Derby undercard. “The track is very fast,” said his rider, Cristian Torres. “You could see the first few races; horses have been in front have been going wire-to-wire. I tried to be as close as possible. Coming to the quarter pole, when I finally got him clear, he ran on. I’m very happy with my horse.”

A 6-year-old gelding by Prospective, Baby Yoda was bred in Florida by Kathleen Amaya, Alexandro Centofanti & Raffaele Centofanti. He made his first two starts in Maryland for trainer Charles L. Frock before being privately purchased and sent to Mott.

Owned by Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, and Jerold Zaro, Baby Yoda began his 2024 season with two poor performances in high-level allowances at Gulfstream.

“He didn’t like that track,” Mott said. “Jose Ortiz told me - he’d ridden him a number of times before - he said for some reason, he just didn’t like the track.”

Baby Yoda has won nine times from 25 starts for earnings of $837,220, including an allowance on May 3 during the Belmont at the Big A meeting, his final prep before today’s start. The True North is his first stakes victory.

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