By J.N. Campbell
With plenty of tasty birthday cake in the offing, a cadre of newly-minted 3-year-old colts have blown out their candles and are ready for stakes action across four tracks on Saturday.
Leading the charge at Santa Anita is the GII San Vicente Stakes, which is the annual renewal of the seven furlong dirt race. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has won 13 prior editions, including last year with Muth (Good Magic).
In customary fashion, the Hall of Famer enters a pair of runners in Barnes (Into Mischief) and Romanesque (Practical Joke). The former–a $3.2 million purchase by Zedan Racing at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale–was green as grass on debut under the Twin Spires Nov. 27, but he re-rallied to graduate by a head that afternoon.
“He had every reason to get beat that day [at Churchill Downs],” Baffert said of Barnes's unveiling. “And 5 1/2 furlongs is probably a little short for him. We knew he was a nice horse. He shipped there and handled everything well. He was a little bit green. He was in a bad post and got jostled around a little bit. But he handled it well.”
Since his first start, the bay has had four works at 'The Great Race Place,' including a bullet six-furlong move from the gate in 1:12.80 Dec. 22.
“We'll see how he handles the next step,” Baffert said.
As for Romanesque, whose ownership group includes SF, Starlight, Madaket, Stonestreet, Dianne Bashor, Determined, Robert Matheson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge and Catherine Donovan, the Pennsylvania-bred broke his maiden by 2 1/4 lengths at Del Mar Nov. 23.
Bullard wins the Bob Hope at Del Mar | Benoit
Not to be overlooked is San Vincente morning-line favorite Bullard (Gun Runner) for owners Talla, St. Elias, Three Chimneys and West Point. The Michael McCarthy trainee earned a 'TDN Rising Star' badge after he debuted a winner by 1 1/4 lengths at Del Mar Sept. 1. Next out, the $675,000 Keeneland September grad captured the GIII Bob Hope Stakes over the same surface with nearly a five-length score Nov. 17.
The Saturday sophomore show for colts also includes a pair of races with Derby point implications to the tune of 10-5-3-2-1 for the top five finishers.
First, all eyes will be fixed on the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct where McAfee (Cloud Computing) is set for his stakes debut. Bred by Judy Hicks, the half-brother to potential Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) won an auction-restricted maiden special weight at first asking in Louisville Nov. 1 for trainer Rick Dutrow, then the colt was the runner-up in a starter allowance at Churchill Nov. 24.
“He's huge,” said Dutrow. “He's a big horse and we love him. We were so happy with him [in defeat], he ran like a true racehorse on the inside, kept coming, just stuff you really love to see for a second-time starter.”
Swinging over to Hot Springs, Oaklawn Park cards the Smarty Jones Stakes. Trainer Brad Cox has claimed three of the last four winners here and he potentially could have the race favorite in Hot Property (Medaglia d'Oro). The Gary and Mary West homebred conquered two turns going gate to wire in his first start at Fair Grounds Nov. 24.
“Look, he's definitely a two-turn horse,” Cox said. “Glad the race is a mile and a sixteenth, as opposed to the old distance of one mile. I think it will suit him. Ran really well the first time. Took a little pressure on the front end, fought it off and finished up well. Once again, looks like a horse, the farther the better. It is a step up with having only the one race, but not a lot of options. I think the timing fits well. Pretty smart horse. I think he'll handle the ship and, hopefully, gets a good trip.”
Finally at Gulfstream Park, the Mucho Macho Man Stakes is not a Derby prep, but it has been used as a stepping stone by barns to the Florida series. Look for 'TDN Rising Star' Guns Loaded (Gun Runner) to take money, but Resolute's Septarian (Protonico) and AMO's Cool Intentions (Authentic) are also of interest.
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