By Stefanie Grimm
Topping a Bob Baffert trifecta, REINCARNATE (Good Magic), the co-longest shot on the board at 16-1, held off Newgate (Into Mischief) and favored National Treasure (Quality Road) to steal the GIII Sham S.
Fresh off his maiden-breaking score in just his second start on the dirt following a pair of turf efforts in the fall, Reincarnate, a $775,000 yearling, came in the least heralded of Baffert's trio. Sent right to the front from his middle gate, the roan colt was able to clear National Treasure on his inside for a rail-hugging trip with Spun Intended just to his outside. That duo paced the field through an opening quarter in 22.78 as Packs a Wahlop and National Treasure raced in tandem behind while Newgate brought up the rear.
The field began to bunch up as they approached the far turn and Reincarnate got a bit of breathing room on the front end past the quarter pole. Newgate, who swept by the field on the outside to challenge at the top of the stretch, kept it tight but Reincarnate was game, countering every attack with one of his own and getting the better of his rival close to the wire to win by a neck. National Treasure chased the top pair home and finished three-quarters of a length back in third.
While the top three finishers would normally have been awarded points on a 10-5-3-2-1-scale on the road to the Kentucky Derby, only Packs a Wahlop (Creative Cause) and Spun Intended (Hard Spun) were eligible due to Baffert's ongoing suspension.
“It looks like this horse is getting better with every race, the first couple of starts, he was a little green,” said Juan Hernandez. “Today, he broke really sharp and actually he surprised me. I had come up with a plan to stay behind the speed, make him relax and make one move, but when the gate opened, plans changed.”
“He's the kind of horse that can run all day long,” said Bob Baffert. “He broke great and Juan just kind of let him run away from there. They were all on their own, I didn't give anybody any instructions. I was watching Johnny (Velazquez, aboard National Treasure) and he was in tight the whole way…I think (Reincarnate) showed that distance is not going to be a problem for him once he (gets) the lead. I was surprised he that easy lead and he just kept going.”
Pedigree Note:
The most recent winner for his dam, herself a stakes winner and a half-sister to MGSP Over Emphasize (Overanalyze), Reincarnate has a 2-year-old half-brother by Goldencents and a yearling half-brother by Liam's Map. Allanah went to More than Ready for 2023. By way of the third dam, this is also the female family of Canadian MSW Winning Agenda (Twilight Agenda), who went on to produce two-time champion Peruvian grass horse Zeide Isaac (Freud). That one's half-siblings include SW Dixie Two Star (Dixie Brass) and SP Canta Ke Brave (River Special).
Sunday, Santa Anita Park
SHAM S.-GIII, $100,000, Santa Anita, 1-8, 3yo, 1m, 1:35.87, ft.
1–REINCARNATE, 120, c, 3, by Good Magic
1st Dam: Allanah (SW), by Scat Daddy
2nd Dam: Star in the Corner, by Holy Bull
3rd Dam: Stubborn Star, by Star Choice
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($775,000
Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket
Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay
Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine
Donovan; B-Woods Edge Farm, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan
Hernandez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 5-2-3-0, $142,400.
Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross
pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Newgate, 120, c, 3, Into Mischief–Majestic Presence, by
Majestic Warrior. 'TDN Rising Star'. ($850,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC,
Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson,
Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge
Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Town & Country Horse
Farms, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $20,000.
3–National Treasure, 120, c, 3, Quality Road–Treasure, by
Medaglia d'Oro. ($500,000 Ylg '21 FTSAUG). O-SF Racing LLC,
Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson,
Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge
Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Peter E. Blum
Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $12,000.
Margins: NK, 3/4, 23. Odds: 16.50, 5.20, 0.60.
Also Ran: Packs a Wahlop, Spun Intended. Scratched: Speed Boat Beach.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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