By Brian DiDonato
With 13 entrants and almost as many true contenders, Saturday's GI Santa Anita Derby will probably be the most competitive GI Kentucky Derby prep contested so far this spring. Iliad (Ghostzapper) is as good a place to start as any, as he finished second–albeit beaten 6 3/4 lengths–in the local Mar. 11 GII San Felipe S. to unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Mastery (Candy Ride {Arg}), who likely would've scared many of these off if not for pulling up from his romp with an injury. Iliad bested Kimbear (Temple City) in a Los Al maiden in December when still in the care of Bob Baffert, and defeated a group that included 'Rising Star' Battle of Midway (Smart Strike) when an easy winner of the seven-panel GII San Vicente S. Feb. 12. That was his first try for Doug O'Neill.
Highly regarded American Anthem (Bodemeister) looks to bounce back from a surprising 10th-place finish after being hung wide and losing a shoe at 8-5 in Oaklawn's GII Rebel S. Mar. 18. The $435,000 OBS March acquisition defeated a strong Del Mar field first up Dec. 3 that included So Conflated (Eskendereya) and Iliad, and set a solid pace before coming up a head short to last year's GI FrontRunner S. upsetter Gormley (Malibu Moon) in the sloppy GIII Sham S. here Jan. 7. Gormley was 4th in the San Felipe last time–one spot ahead of Term of Art (Tiznow).
In addition to American Anthem, Hall of Famer Bob Baffert–who also conditions Mastery–has two additional chances to add to his already record seven victories in this race. Reach the World (Tapit) broke his maiden by daylight going a sixteenth shorter here Feb. 4, and fell by a neck to Battle of Midway in a stakes-level allowance Mar. 9. Irish Freedom (Pioneerof the Nile) was a distant fifth in that same heat, but Baffert called an audible and entered him here after he turned in a strong work over the strip Apr. 2 (6f in 1:12.20 {1/10}). Irish Freedom's lone prior start was a six-panel debut win at Del Mar Aug. 21 over Royal Mo (Uncle Mo), who annexed the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. Feb. 4 before checking in ninth in the Rebel.
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