Kentucky Derby prep: Baffert’s Reincarnate (16-1) delivers upset
Although he was pressed through swift fractions to the top of the lane, 16-1 long shot Reincarnate led a Bob Baffert trifecta, fending off all challengers to prevail by a neck in Sunday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita.
Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Reincarnate got the two-turn mile in 1:35.87 and stamped himself a Kentucky Derby hopeful as he provided Baffert with his record ninth Sham Stakes win.
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A gate-to-wire, one-mile, maiden winner Nov. 25 at Del Mar, Reincarnate was pressed through splits of 22.28, 45.57, 1:09.55 and 1:22.76 by highly regarded second choice Spun Intended, who dropped out of contention leaving the quarter pole and was pulled up a furlong out by Mike Smith.
Easily the biggest price of the Baffert trio, Reincarnate, who broke his maiden in his fourth start, paid $35.00, $9.00 and $3.60.
“It looks like this horse is getting better with every race, the first couple of starts he was a little green,” said Hernandez, who bagged his third win of the day and his meet-leading sixth stakes win. “Today he broke really sharp, and actually, he surprised me. I had come up with a plan to stay behind the speed, make him relax and make one move, but when the gate opened, plans changed.
“I saw myself in front, so I just let him run. I felt the fractions were like a hard pace, but he was really comfortable. He’s a really big horse, he has a big stride. ... He kind of waited for the other horses, but he’s still learning how to run. When he got the lead, he tried to wait for company, but when he saw (Newgate) come to me, he saw him and fought back.”
By Good Magic out of the Scat Daddy mare Allanah, Reincarnate is owned by a partnership led by SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables. A $775,000 Keeneland September yearling, he increased his earnings to $142,400 with the $60,000 winner’s share from the Sham.
“He’s the kind of horse that can run all day long,” Baffert said. “He broke great, and Juan just kind of let him run away from there. They were all on their own. I didn’t give anybody any instructions. I was watching Johnny (Velazquez aboard third-place finisher and heavy favorite National Treasure), and he was in tight the whole way. ... I think (Reincarnate) showed that distance is not going to be a problem for him once he (gets) the lead. I was surprised he that easy lead, and he just kept going.”
Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Newgate was last early and finished very well to be second by three-quarters of a length over third-place National Treasure. Off at 5-1, Newgate paid $5.20 and $2.60.
With Velazquez taking off the winner in favor of 3-5 post time favorite National Treasure, he, too, gave a good account of himself, finishing 23 lengths in front of turf specialist Packs a Wahlop while returning $2.10 to show.
The race would have awarded 10-4-3-2-1 points to all five finishers. However, points that would have gone to the top three finishers were vacated, because Baffert remains under a disputed suspension from the Derby as a result of the late Medina Spirit’s failed drug test in 2021.