Baffert's Hall of Rebels

Hall of Fame trainer, Bob Baffert, will look to add a seventh notch in his Rebel Stakes staff with Sham Stakes runner-up, American Anthem in Saturday’s Rebel Stakes.

Baffert’s first Rebel victory came in 2010 with Lookin’ at Lucky, who, ironically, was rather unlucky. He won the race again in 2011 and 2012, and had it not been for his mentor D. Wayne Lukas spoiling his fun with Will Take Charge and Oxbow, Baffert would own seven consecutive Rebel’s. However, that is not how history would be written, and instead, Baffert would own six of the last seven Rebel editions, with eyes set on a fourth consecutive win in 2017.

Looking back, Baffert runners ran some exciting races in this particular in the Rebel. Lookin at Lucky overcame a troubled trip to win the 2010 edition in a thriller, as did Hoppertunity, who still races with us today.

On the flip side of the coin, quite a few of his runners have won off in dominating romps. Some would use those wins to springboard them to further success, while others failed to build upon their impressive Rebel efforts. Either way, they’ve definitely given us thrills, but which one gave us the most?

Lookin At Lucky: In 2010, Bob Baffert penciled in the Rebel Stakes to be the reigning champion’s three-year-old debut. Unfortunately, making the race was just about the only thing that went right, not just in the Rebel, but during Lookin’ At Lucky’s entire 2010 season.

In the Rebel, the chart pretty much says it all – “LOOKIN AT LUCKY bothered start, settled off the pace and the inside, jumped across NOBLE'S PROMISE heels when that one came out just outside the half mile marker, quickly recovered, advanced four wide into contention turning for home, set down, late bid, gained the nod in a game effort.”

Getting bothered at the start, while also having to jump heels, is not the type of debut most trainers dream of, but Lookin at Lucky displayed the heart of a champion. He recovered, swung several paths wide, and chased Noble’s Promise to gamely nail that him on the wire.

The Factor: There isn’t much to say about this effort that one couldn’t find by simply Youtube-ing any of The Factor’s races.

The speedy gray broke on top and set staunch early fractions before turning away the talented Caleb’s Posse. His final time of 1:42.19 ranks as the second fastest in the last 20 runnings of the Rebel Stakes.

Secret Circle: The son of Eddington is probably one of the easiest Rebel winners to forget. As gritty and talented as he was, his game was sprinting, and he would later be overshadowed by the brilliant Bodemeister.

Secret Circle rated fourth in the early going, but moved up to spar with the leader, Scat Man, around the far turn. Coming into the stretch, Secret Circle had one and one half lengths to make up on his rival and did just that, while also turning away the late challenge of Optimizer. The final time was a less than stellar 1:44.55.

Hoppertunity: While a pro at dominating the Rebel to this point, Hopperutnity would mark Baffert’s third consecutive Rebel winner to miss the Kentucky Derby. The son of Any Given Saturday, who rather coincidentally donned the same silks as the unlucky, Lookin At Lucky, also had a very eventful trip in his Rebel run. Stalking in third place for most of the race, when the real running again, he was bulled aside by Tapiture, as he, Hoppertunity, and Ride on Curlin spun into the stretch.

After being forced out, Hoppetunity veered sharply back inside, brushing with Tapiture, causing him to steady over the sloppy going. Both recovered their strides to finish strongly, but at the wire it was Hoppertunity who got his head down first. The rider on Tapiture did launch an objection against Hoppertunity, but the stewards ruled that order of finished would not be changed, and Tapiture would remain the runner-up.

American Pharoah: Who could possibly forget this mud loving, Triple Crown winner, who looked like he was part duck when frolicking over sloppy going that caused his competition floundered.

Like Lookin at Lucky, this Champion Juvenile made his sophomore bow in the Rebel, only his debut went quite a bit smoother. After bobbling at the break, Pharoah quickly regained stride and glided to an easy lead. With his competitors noticeably having trouble with the bog, Pharoah was allowed to set pedestrian fractions, leaving him with plenty left as he led the field into the stretch.

From that point, he steadily, and easily, increased his advantage from a length to four, eventually coasting home by widening six and one quarter lengths. The victory would be the first of many that would come, during what would become a historic, Triple Crown winning campaign.

Cupid: No, I’m not talking about the little baby with a bow and arrow, who shoots people in the butt to make them fall in love…. I’m talking about the fleet-footed gray by Tapit, who ran his opponents of their hooves in last year’s running of the Rebel. While he didn’t build upon the stellar effort, the Rebel run itself was nothing short of impressive.

Breaking slowly from the four post in a very crowded field, Cupid was gunned to obtain the early lead, recording a :22 and 4/5 opening quarter to do it. He continued to speed along through a half mile in :46 and 4/5, before getting a breather during the third quarter of the race.

The race was his for the taking as he wheeled into the stretch, but suddenly he ducked inside and appeared to brush the rail. The episode allowed the eventual runner-up, Whitmore, to range up menacingly, but Cupid soon recovered and kicked clear to win by just over a length.

Going into this year’s Rebel Stakes, I wonder which of the Baffert won Rebel’s was the best? American Pharoah was obviously the best Baffert trainee to emerge from the Rebel, but was his performance the most exciting? If not, who gets that honor, and will American Anthem upstage them?