Baffert reroutes Litmus Test from Delaware to Santa Anita

The $100,000 Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds, which will now be run on Monday after Thursday’s card at Santa Anita was canceled due to a power outage, attracted one major addition when entries were retaken on Friday. Now in the field is Grade 2 winner Litmus Test, who trainer Bob Baffert said would be scratched from Saturday’s Delaware Derby and will ship to Santa Anita from Kentucky for the 1 1/16-mile Affirmed.

Litmus Test will be making his first start since finishing 17th in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 2. He is seeking his first win since the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) in December. In between the Futurity and Kentucky Derby, the colt by Nyquist finished third in the Rebel (G2) and seventh in the Arkansas Derby (G3), both at Oaklawn Park. He’ll be ridden by Emisael Jaramillo for the first time in the Affirmed.

Click here for Santa Anita entries and results.

Secured Freedom, trained by Tim Yakteen, makes his first start since finishing fourth in the Pat Day Mile (G2) on the Kentucky Derby undercard. In the Pat Day Mile Secured Freedom settled in mid-pack and then improved his position late to finish a solid fourth behind winner Crude Velocity. Prior to that effort, the colt by Practical Joke was fourth in San Felipe (G2) and third in the Robert B. Lewis (G3), both at Santa Anita. Secured Freedom is owned by Leslie A. Amestoy, Pierre Jean Amestoy Jr. and Roger K. Beasley. Hall of Famer Joel Rosario will ride Secured Freedom for the first time.

Decisive Win makes his stakes debut for trainer Doug O’Neill. By Nyquist, Decisive Win on May 22 at Santa Anita was stretched out to one mile for his second start and promptly aired by 5 1/2 lengths under Antonio Fresu. He was purchased for $600,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale and is campaigned by Great Friends Stable and Mark D. Davis. Fresu again has the call on Decisive Win.