Newgate rallies for neck win in Lewis
One thing was for certain at Santa Anita on Saturday — trainer Bob Baffert was a cinch to win the $200,000 Grade III Robert B. Lewis Stakes.
This is Baffert's favorite time of year, when the top 3-year-olds in the country are sorting themselves out on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. He didn't have anything to worry about in the Lewis because he trains all four horses who ran.
Newgate, the even-money favorite, rallied on the outside to beat 12-1 longshot Hard to Figure by a neck. Worcester and Arabian Lion completed the order of finish. Final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:43.11.
Baffert said winning jockey Frankie Dettori has been working with Newgate, a son of Into Mischief, trying to teach him to lay back, relax and then unleash a strong run to the finish. The strategy worked out perfectly Saturday.
“Newgate, with the experience of having two turns, got it done,” Baffert said. “I think this is why we have these races, these preps. You're trying to figure out their styles. Newgate, before when we were sending him, he wasn't finishing. I wasn't sure how far he wanted to go.”
He showed he at least wants to go a mile and a sixteenth, winning for the second time in six starts and padding his bankroll to $241,975 with the first-place check of $120,000. It was Newgate's first stakes win in five tries after winning his debut by 31/2 lengths at Del Mar on July 30.
Said Dettori: “We had a good pace in the race, we came back in good time. Today we moved sharper and we beat some good horses. He was a little slow with his lead changes, but he ran well.”
Santa Monica Stakes
Fun to Dream, the 1-2 favorite, won the $200,000 Grade II sprint for older fillies and mares under Juan Hernandez for Baffert by 21/2 lengths over Awake At Midnyte. Final time for the 7 furlongs on the main track was 1:22.75.
The 4-year-old daughter of Arrogate won for the sixth time in seven tries and is 4 for 4 at Santa Anita. She's also 4 for 4 at the Santa Monica distance.
The Megahertz
Quattroelle, a 10-1 longshot with Hector Berrios aboard, closed from last in the field of seven to beat Bay Storm in the $100,000 Grade III turf stakes for older fillies and mares. Trained by Jeff Mullins, the 5-year-old mare bred by Mehmas ran the mile in 1:35.04.
The winner has won four of nine at Santa Anita and delivered her first stakes win in six tries. She's now banked $292,772 in her career.
Thunder Road Stakes
Flavien Prat split horses in the final sixteenth of a mile to get Earls Rock up for a nose victory over the fast-closing Du Jour in the $100,000 Grade III turf stakes for older horses.
It was another neck back to 9-5 favorite Air Force Red. The winner, trained by Philip D'Amato, ran the mile in 1:34.05 while winning for the fourth time in seven starts. The 5-yearold gelding has won three of four at Santa Anita.