American Anthem

AMERICAN ANTHEM (c, Bodemeister—Indy's Windy, by A.P. Indy)

O-WinStar Farm, LLC, S F Bloodstock, LLC & China Horse Club. B-WinStar Farm (KY). T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $180,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP; $435,000 2yo '16 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: GSP, 3-1-1-0, $54,200.

Mar. 28 TDN Top 20 Rank: 8

Last Start: 10th, GII Rebel S., OP, Mar. 18

Next Start: GI Santa Anita Derby, SA, Apr. 8

Thoro-Graph sheet, Equineline PPs

KY Derby Points: 4

American Anthem will get a new jockey (Rafael Bejarano) for the Santa Anita Derby as trainer Baffert has assigned Mike Smith to his other lightly raced prospect, Reach the World (Tapit), for the same race. Will the talent American Anthem displayed in his first two races be enough for this May 15 foal to overcome being under the gun in terms of timing for the Derby? His thrown-shoe debacle in the Rebel S. is an obvious excuse for that clunker, but now it puts him in the difficult position of having to run an exceptionally strong race on Saturday just to prove he can win at two turns against stakes company. Visually, he has still run the best losing race in 2017 of any horse ranked on this week's Top 20 (pinned inside by more experienced foe, kicked again determinedly to only lose by a pip in the Sham S.). But that race was way back on Jan. 7, and its relevance diminishes with each passing week on the Derby trail.

VIDEO PPS