Baffert wins with Reincarnate for his 7th straight Los Al Derby

Another year, another victory in the $125,000 Los Alamitos Derby for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

Reincarnate, the even-money favorite in the field of five after the scratch of Yellow Brick, controlled things up front Saturday under jockey Juan Hernandez, giving Baffert his seventh win in a row in the race and his eighth in the last nine years.

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The victory also completed a stakes sweep for Hernandez at the Los Angeles County Fair meet for a second consecutive year. He had won the $100,000 Bertrando with Kings River Knight on June 24, then he teamed with Baffert on July 4 to take the Great Lady M (G2) with Eda. Last year Hernandez swept the Bertrando, Great Lady M and Los Alamitos Derby with Desmond Doss, Becca Taylor and High Connection.

Owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan, Reincarnate prevailed by 2 1/2 lengths over 6-5 choice Skinner with a time of 1:48.72 for the 1 1/8 miles.

A son of Good Magic and the Scat Daddy mare Allanah, Reincarnate had been idle since finishing 13th in the Kentucky Derby and is 3-for-9 with earnings of $420,650.

Purchased for $775,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September sale, the gray colt had not won since he scored a 16-1 upset in the Sham (G3) on Jan. 8 at Santa Anita.

“I told (Hernandez) that he was back to how he was when he last won,” Baffert said. “It was very important to get the win, especially when you know how good Skinner is. ... This race always comes up tough, and it was a big win for the team.”

Hernandez, who also won the Sham and is 2-for-3 with Reincarnate, was impressed Saturday.

“(Baffert) had him ready today,” he said. “I loved his race. He broke really sharp and was comfortable all the way. ... He looked like he was waiting for company, because he put his ears up. When the company came around the three-eighths pole, I asked him, and he picked it up really well. In the stretch he switched leads, and he opened up again.”

Reincarnate paid $4 and $2.40. There was no show wagering.

Skinner, who was making his first start since finishing a close third in the Santa Anita Derby three months ago, returned $2.40 while finishing 2 1/2 lengths in front of 23-1 shot Prince Abu Dhabi. Abeliefinthislivin and High Mo, Skinner’s stablemate and 5-1 third choice, completed the order of finish.

Ramon Vazquez, who won all three 2022 riding titles at Los Alamitos, holds a 9-7 lead over Abel Cedillo heading into the final day of the season.

Baffert tops the trainers with five wins, one more than Peter Miller, Jesus Uranga, Milton Pineda and Hector Palma.