Even after the defection of unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief) due to an ankle chip, Saturday's GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby will still go through Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert's barn.
Medina Spirit (Protonico), just a $35,000 OBS July 2-year-old pick-up by Zedan Racing Stables last year, was a game-as-can-be narrow winner of the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. two starts back over 'TDN Rising Star' Roman Centurian (Empire Maker) and subsequent GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow).
Medina Spirit was also second-best behind his aforementioned sidelined stablemate twice, including eight lengths adrift most recently in the GII San Felipe S. Mar. 6.
Baffert, also represented by second-out, come-from-behind six-furlong maiden winner Defunded (Dialed In) Mar. 6, has won a record nine Runhappy Santa Anita Derbies.
Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) switches to dirt after opening his career with a pair of visually impressive victories on turf, including the one-mile Pasadena S. last time Feb. 27. Rock Your World, a $650,000 KEESEP yearling graduate, fired a five-furlong warning shot for John Sadler in :59 1/5 (1/82) at Santa Anita Mar. 28. The dark bay is out of the Empire Maker mare Charm the Maker, heroine of the Sharp Cat S. and placegetter in the GI Hollywood Starlet S. and GI Oak Leaf S.
'TDN Rising Star' Dream Shake (Twirling Candy), a flashy debut winner sprinting for Peter Eurton Feb. 7, was a distant third while making his two-turn debut in the San Felipe, 3 1/4 lengths ahead of fourth-place finisher Roman Centurian. The latter is expected to scratch and could resurface in either the GI Arkansas Derby or GIII Lexington S., according to a report in Daily Racing Form.
Law Professor (Constitution), eighth in the Dream Shake maiden, followed up with a promising graduation going a two-turn mile over this course Mar. 5.
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