What we learned: Medina Spirit may be a top Classic contender

Medina Spirit took an easier route than his peers to the Breeders’ Cup Classic by winning the Awesome Again Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita for the controversial trainer Bob Baffert and Zedan Racing Stables.

But he won in the right way, and he deserves respect heading into Del Mar next month as one of the top contenders along with Knicks Go, Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie.

Here is the recap of his trip. 

As usual, Medina Spirit under John Velazquez secured the lead heading into the first turn, and it seems like some of the other jockeys were too timid.

Stilleto Boy broke in front, but he let Medina Spirit pass him and cross over. 

Tizamagician came within a half-length once they straightened out after the first turn, but Flavien Prat had a slight hold on him to prevent a direct confrontation. Prat’s hold was evident when Tizamagician tossed his head up.

With an advantage secure at a half length to a length, Medina Spirit led the field through 23.74 and 47.72 fractions, which likely are moderate numbers for this level on Santa Anita's dirt surface.  

Medina Spirit then began to open up slightly under his own power on the second turn, and the outcome seemed inevitable at this point. 

Tizamagician gave one more shot, but he ran only evenly in the stretch. Tripoli made a wide move after spending most of the race wide. He could not sustain his far turn rally and flattened out. After traveling inside, Stilleto Boy switched out to the two path for the stretch run, but he was no match. Express Train rallied too late on the outside.

Under a mild hand ride from Velazquez, Medina Spirit drew clear in mid-stretch and hit the wire an easy winner of the Awesome Again by five lengths. Yes, he took an easier path by not facing Hot Rod Charlie and Midnight Bourbon. Yes, he had another comfortable trip after securing the lead. With all that said, Medina Spirit was strong in the stretch run and gave the impression of a legitimate Classic contender.

As for Stilleto Boy, the live long-shot pick of this blog (Tripoli was the main choice), he ran exceptionally well for a 54-1 shot and held second by two lengths over the oncoming Express Train. He does not look like a threat to top horses such as Medina Spirit, as this is his second loss to him, but the runner-up effort is respectable. Perhaps he can improve. 

Why is Express Train turning into a closer? He closed well for third, but it must feel frustrating for backers to see him at the rear of mid-pack early when he has speed if asked. If Express Train was going to run as a closer, the connections had Midcourt in the race if they wanted a rabbit to liven up the pace. Instead, Midcourt lagged farther behind in seventh.

Tripoli finished fourth. The wide trip is notable, although he is probably no real win threat in the Breeders’ Cup Classic if the connections decide to enter. Bettors might want to use him as a closer to include in the third or fourth slots, but that is probably his limit next month.

Medina Spirit looks ready for a top effort in the Breeders’ Cup. The pending pace scenario appears tricky for him and Knicks Go, as they both want to lead. But there is always the chance that Knicks Go opts to press instead. 

If Medina Spirit wins the Classic, the voting for the Eclipse Awards might become quite awkward and heated. When a 3-year-old wins three Grade 1 races and they include the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic, that should make him the leading contender for Horse of the Year as well as a lock to win the 3-year-old Eclipse Award.

This is not a normal year, and it is possible voters will rebel against Baffert because of the Kentucky Derby controversy. First, though, Medina Spirit needs to win the Classic next month to reach that situation.

Art Collector all-out in Woodward victory

Art Collector won his prep race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic by taking the Woodward Stakes (G1) at Belmont Saturday. But, the fact that he needed to work to defeat Maxfield and Dr Post after reasonable fractions is a concern.

After the break, Art Collector secured the lead with nominal pressure from Mo Gotcha. The bunched-up field early on hints at a slower pace.

Art Collector led through initial 24.02 and 47.78 fractions.

With a comfortable position in hand, Art Collector added separation from the field at the start of the turn. The long shot Mo Gotcha had folded, while Forza Di Oro, Maxfield and Dr Post became the closest pursuers. Code of Honor was struggling to get involved.

In the stretch run, Art Collector finished off the job by retaining the margin created on the turn and responding to urging from Luis Saez. But unlike Medina Spirit's near flawless romp at Santa Anita, Art Collector had to work to keep Maxfield and Dr Post at bay. From a visual standpoint, it just did not look like an easy and effortless win. How will he defeat horses such as Medina Spirit, Essential Quality, Knicks Go and Hot Rod Charlie?

Supporters will argue Maxfield is a harder opponent than Stilleto Boy and Express Train. That is a fair statement, although the hype on Maxfield has been a far-fetched at times in his career. Remember, Maxfield's last Grade 1 win came in 2019. 

The Breeders’ Cup Classic looks like a tough assignment for Art Collector, at least this year. If bettors want to play this horse anyway, they need to demand a value price on Art Collector with all the big names lining up, and they must hope some of those favorites fail to fire.

If the connections want to attempt the Classic, Art Collector deserves a shot. To end this piece on a positive note, Art Collector has done well since being transferred to trainer Bill Mott and switched to longer routes. Regardless of whether he wins at the Breeders’ Cup, more wins are in his future if he continues as a 5-year-old.