Medina Spirit wins three-way photo in Robert B. Lewis
In a thrilling edition of the $100,000 Robert B. Lewis (G3), pacesetter and even-money favorite Medina Spirit narrowly prevailed in a three-way stretch duel at Santa Anita Park on Saturday for trainer Bob Baffert.
Breaking from the rail under Abel Cedillo, Medina Spirit secured the lead through a sharp opening quarter-mile in 22.89 with Wipe the Slate lapped to his outside. Those two continued to show the way down the backstretch through a half mile in 46.62 as both Hot Rod Charlie and Roman Centurian were content to sit in the second flight of the six horse field.
When Medina Spirit posted six furlongs in 1:12.36 on what was dull main track Saturday, both Hot Rod Charlie and Roman Centurian were angled outside of horses to launch their bid.
From there, it was an all-out battle to the wire with Medina Spirit just prevailing by a neck over Roman Centurian with another nose back to Hot Rod Charlie in third.
“That reminded me a little bit of Silver Charm (1997 Kentucky Derby winner),” said Baffert, who won his third straight Lewis and record ninth in all. “He had every reason to give it up late in the stretch (when) those horses came to him. I thought he was beat. I thought they were going to get by and he wouldn’t let them by, he fought on."
Medina Spirit completed 1 1/16-miles on a good track in 1:46.26 to earn 10 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby. The son of Protontico – who returned $4 as the even-money favorite – previously earned two Derby qualifying points when second to stablemate Life Is Good in the Jan. 2 Sham (G3) at Santa Anita.
“He’s a very game horse,” said Cedillo, who collected his third win on the day and who has now ridden Medina Spirit in all three of his races. “At the quarter pole, I didn’t know, but he looked around and when he saw those horses, he kept going. He didn’t get tired at all. On the gallop out (after the wire), he was by himself.”
Roman Centurian earned four points towards the Kentucky Derby, while Hot Rod Charlie – making his first start since a second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile – collected two more points to give him 10 total. Fourth-place finisher Spielberg earned one point to raise his tally to 15.
Owned by Zedan Racing Stable's, Medina Spirit was a debut winner at Los Alamitos on Dec. 11 and came back to be beaten just three-quarters of a length in the Sham when mounting a late rally.
“We just have to keep him healthy," Baffert noted of Medina Spirit's immediate future. "It’s a really tiring track, he went real fast early, but he showed that he had the qualities there. It’s nice to win the Robert B. Lewis because it means so much to me. I would have liked my other horse (Spielberg) to run better than he did but those things happen.”
The field for the Lewis was reduced by two with the scratches of Rombauer, who is expected to be rerouted to the Feb. 13 El Camino Real at Golden Gate Fields and long shot Waspirant.
Santa Anita's road to the 2021 Kentucky Derby continues with the $300,000 San Felipe (G2) on March 6, which awards 50 points to the winner; and concludes with the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 3 with 100 points going to the winner.