Zipse: Friday's Santa Anita card carries Triple Crown trail weight

While we continue to wait with bated breath for the returns of the most celebrated juveniles in California, the 2019 Kentucky Derby scene in Southern California heats up nonetheless on Friday with a loaded allowance race featuring a trio of promising sophomore runners.

Game Winner, Improbable and Instagrand will be back soon enough, but in the meantime Roadster, Dessman and Nolo Contesto will fill in quite nicely in their absence. Carded as Race 8, potential will be the theme of the afternoon as the trio will head a field of six going a flat mile over the main track at Santa Anita. 

Bob Baffert, the only person to train a Triple Crown winner in the last 40 years, will saddle two of the three, including the likely favorite, Roadster. Away for nearly six months, the son of Quality Road was one of the most discussed 2-year-olds in the nation last summer despite only making it to the starting gate twice.

The word was out early on this one, and when he debuted in late July at Del Mar, he was bet down to 4-5. The gray colt came home an impressive winner that afternoon by 4 1/4 lengths. Spurred on by complimentary quotes from his Hall of Fame trainer, the $525,000 yearling purchase for Speedway Stable would be bet down even lower in his next start.

The Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity did not turn out to be quite the stakes debut many were hoping for, as Roadster ran third, beaten two lengths by Game Winner, who went on to become an undefeated Breeders' Cup winner and champion. A breathing issue sent Roadster to the sidelines, meaning there's an excuse for that defeat, and reason for improvement.

Roadster has been working steadily for his long anticipated return, including a 1:10 and change bullet on Feb. 17, and will be a deserving favorite if he can build upon the talent he flashed last summer. 

Meanwhile, the "other" Baffert comes in with a little less buzz, but Dessman  put the pedal down in his career debut. Unveiled on Jan. 17, the son of Union Rags overwhelmed a field of six going three-quarters of a mile at Santa Anita. The $750,000 yearling purchase stalked the pace and drew away down the stretch to a 7 1/2-length romp. Brought back three weeks later, Dessman ran a bang-up race in the seven furlong San Vicente Stakes (G2).

Overshadowed by his more hyped stablemate, Coliseum, at the windows, Dessman stalked a blistering pace before taking over in the stretch. He was unable to hold off the late rush of Sparky Ville, though, ultimately losing the win photo by a nose. 

Sharp and clearly another talented runner from his trainer's loaded barn, he could once again beat a more heralded stablemate if he can handle the extra furlong on Friday.

While both Baffert runners will be making their initial run around two turns in Friday's feature, Nolo Contesto is already a winner at the trip. After having no chance while losing an iron in his career debut at Del Mar, the son of Pioneerof the Nile returned to narrowly win one of the better maiden races of this crop. It came on Jan. 4 at Santa Anita, and despite a wide trip, the $385,000 yearling purchase of Hronis Racing got the win over Omaha Beach. 

With the rest of the field far behind, both horses looked like graded stakes types, and the result for the winner was only flattered when the half-length runner-up came back to break his maiden by a pole, in race horse time, in his next start. Trained by John Sadler, Nolo Contesto will be ready for Friday's test off that difficult race, which came at the same one-mile distance, and should also be able to sit behind the two Baffert runners early, and see if he can pick up his pieces.

There may be no black-type available, nor any Kentucky Derby qualifying points, but Friday's field of six, which is rounded out by Manhattan Up, Diamond Blitz and Grab the Mummy, could wind up a key race, as we inch ever closer to the first Saturday in May.