Albaugh Family Stables and Spendthrift Farm's $1-million Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) provided Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert with his 3,000th career victory–and eighth in this race–with a gutsy effort in Saturday's GIII Robert B. Lewis S. at Santa Anita. A debut winner sprinting here Oct. 26, he was last seen besting GI TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up Anneau d'Or (Medaglia d'Oro) in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 7 and was pounded down to 3-5 to remain unbeaten. Breaking in slightly, the bay was unhurried early by Flavien Prat as fellow Baffert trainee High Velocity (Quality Road) showed the way. Thousand Words was able to creep closer up a wide-open rail into a :47.20 half, and bowled his way through a tight seam between High Velocity and Tizamagician (Tiznow) at the head of the lane. He eventually wore down his stablemate before holding off longshot Royal Act (American Pharoah) by
3/4 of a length.
Saturday, Santa Anita
ROBERT B. LEWIS S.-GIII, $100,500, Santa Anita, 2-1, 3yo,
1 1/16m, 1:43.64, ft.
1–THOUSAND WORDS, 124, c, 3, by Pioneerof the Nile
1st Dam: Pomeroys Pistol {MGSW & MGISP, $574,678}, by Pomeroy
2nd Dam: Prettyatthetable, by Point Given
3rd Dam: Swearingen, by Deposit Ticket
($1,000,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC and Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Hardacre Farm (FL); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien Prat. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $211,000.
Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Royal Act, 120, c, 3, American Pharoah–True Feelings, by Latent Heat. ($500,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-C R K Stable LLC; B-Stonehaven Steadings (KY); T-Peter Eurton. $20,000.
3–High Velocity, 120, c, 3, Quality Road–Ketel Twist, by Dixie Union. ($350,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Gary and Mary West; B-Dell Ridge Farm, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $12,000.
Margins: 3/4, NK, 3/4. Odds: 0.60, 18.50, 2.70.
Also Ran: Tizamagician, Encoder, Zimba Warrior.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
“He ran very well,” Prat said. “He put me in a good spot and he was comfortable down there. He took the dirt well and when I asked him to run, he really accelerated.”
Baffert said, “Prat knows him pretty well; I didn't give him any instructions. Both riders were kind of on their own. Prat says he is getting better, he was a sort of immature colt. He grinds and you gotta really work at him. Being stuck down inside he got the worst of it. Usually a young horse like that they don't run that well and they don't respond. He's got that big long stride and the further the better with him. You could tell about the last 50 yards he was really getting going. He came back he wasn't even tired so that is a good sign. He is progressing with every race and to win three in a row like that it is pretty impressive.”
As for his own career milestone, the conditioner said, “I've always thought things happen for a reason. Running in the Bob Lewis, with a horse named Thousand Words and going for 3,000 wins. I mean you can't make that up. I had a feeling it was going to happen in this race. I've had a lot of good people work for me through the years, the first 50 wins were probably the hardest, 100 were life changers. I feel very blessed and fortunate that I've been able to last this in this business and do so well in this business after coming from the Quarter Horse business. I've never dreamt of coming into Thoroughbreds, there was never one instant I was thinking about it. I came over with Mike Pegram and Hal Earnhardt who I still have after all these years, they are a big part of the team.”
Pedigree Notes:
Thousand Words is one of 14 graded winners for his late sire, who of course was also responsible for the Baffert-trained Triple Crown-winning sire of Royal Act. He was his sire's second most expensive yearling (and most expensive colt) when he brought and even $1 million at the 2018 Keeneland September sale. Dam Pomeroys Pistol, a MGSW sprinter for owner/breeder/trainer Amy Tarrant, sold for $475,000 to Mike Ryan at last month's Keeneland January sale in foal to Arrogate. A full-sibling to Thousand Words was born dead in 2018, and Pomeroys Pistol produced a Hard Spun colt in 2019.
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