Unbeaten colts Authentic and Thousand Words face Honor A. P. and Storm the Court. As one who has captured the Kentucky Derby (G1) five times since 1997—plus two Triple Crowns—it is little surprise that trainer Bob Baffert is packing a punch in the March 7 San Felipe Stakes (G2) for Derby hopefuls at Santa Anita Park…
Authentic and Thousand Words will put their unbeaten records on line when they square off in Saturday’s $400,000 San Felipe (G2) at Santa Anita. The Bob Baffert-trained duo highlight a field of seven in the Road to the Kentucky Derby series qualifier. Contested over 1 1/16 miles, the San Felipe awards points on a 50-20-10-5 scale toward a berth in the 146th Kentucky Derby on May 2…
Two months out from the Kentucky Derby on May 2, no trainer holds a stronger hand with 3-year-olds than does Bob Baffert, who has four members of the Derby Watch top 20, two of whom are scheduled to run Saturday in the Grade 2, $400,000 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita, with at least one more scheduled to run the following Saturday in the Grade 2, $1 million Rebel at Oaklawn…
“Authentic has been working unbelievably,” said Gary Young, a colorful and candid cynosure among private clockers for just over four decades who is also bloodstock agent. “The horse has already shown he can get two turns and he might be talented enough to get a mile and a quarter (distance of the Kentucky Derby), although I don’t know if he’s a natural mile and a quarter horse, but he just might be that talented…
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Starlight Racing’s Sombeyay returned to the winner’s circle for the first time in over a year and a half on Saturday, taking command in mid-stretch and holding sway late to score in the $150,000 Canadian Turf Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park…
Starlight Racing As the 3-year-old preps heat up and dreams turn toward roses on the first Saturday in May, Starlight Racing has two colts who are giving us a lot to be excited about. Charlatan won in his debut, a maiden allowance race at Santa Anita on Sunday, Feb. 16th and earned a 105 Beyer, completing 6 furlongs in 1:08.85 on his way to a TDN Rising Star honor. His Beyer number was the second highest figure of 2020 of any horse, any…
Jack Wolf, head of the Starlight Racing partnership that owns a share of Eight Rings, expected a late return to training this winter for the Grade 1 winner would count him out of the 2020 Kentucky Derby prep picture. “The horse was off the Triple Crown stuff,” Wolf said. Then Eight Rings worked a half mile last Thursday for trainer Bob Baffert in 47.20 seconds. “I think (Baffert) feels differently now after the last breeze,” Wolf said. Connections’ original target race off the…
Let the comparisons begin. On Feb. 18, 2018, Justify debuted in a maiden sprint race at Santa Anita, winning by 9 1/2 lengths with Drayden Van Dyke aboard. He earned a 104 Beyer Speed Figure. On Feb. 16, 2020, Charlatan debuted in a maiden sprint race at Santa Anita, winning by 5 3/4 lengths with Van Dyke aboard. He earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure. Justify was trained by Baffert, who also trains Charlatan. Justify went on to win the…
ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 16, 2020)–How deep is Bob Baffert’s Derby bench? There’s no telling, as his unraced Charlatan, an imposing chestnut colt by Speightstown, blew away his competition by 5 ¾ lengths in Sunday’s fourth race at Santa Anita, stopping the clock for six furlongs in a torrid 1:08.85 while geared down under Drayden Van Dyke. Breaking from the outside in a field of four, Charlatan was…
Charlatan (Speightstown) would’ve likely gone favored in most Santa Anita maiden special weights if not for the presence Sunday of Lane Way (Into Mischief)–who was third behind Charlatan’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ and GII San Vicente S.-winning stablemate Nadal (Blame) here last month–and he made 6-5 look like a particular bargain after zipping away in dominant fashion to get the ‘Rising Star’ nod himself. Seizing the lead…
