Affirmed: Newgrange returns, among 4 former Baffert colts

A quartet of 3-year-olds formerly trained by Bob Baffert – Newgrange, Doppelganger, Hopper and High Connection – are among a six-horse field set for Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Affirmed Stakes going 1 1/16-miles at Santa Anita.

Newgrange, winner of the Sham (G3) and Southwest (G3) this winter while with Baffert, has not raced since finishing sixth in the Rebel Stakes (G2) in February that knocked him off the Triple Crown trail. This will be his first start for new trainer Tim Yakteen.

Doppelganger, who earned minor shares in a pair of Kentucky Derby preps for Baffert, will be making his second outing for Yakteen. On the May 7 Kentucky Derby undercard, Doppelganger was never a factor when sixth in the Pat Day Mile (G2).

Hopper and High Connection are each maiden winners who will be making their stakes debut in the Affirmed. Both started their careers with Baffert, but were transferred to trainer Sean McCarthy as a result of Baffert’s three-month suspension.

Hopper broke his maiden for McCarthy May 7 at Santa Anita after running sixth in his debut five weeks earlier for Baffert. In last month's graduation score going seven furlongs, Hopper dueled through a half mile in 44.95 seconds before drawing clear in the stretch to win by 2 1/2-length as the second choice.

The winning time on a fast track was 1:23.60. Hopper has come back to work three times since that effort, including a bullet six furlongs in 1:12.4 on May 29.

“He’s been training well. Of course, he’s going to stretch around two turns for the first time so that’s the question mark,” McCarthy told Horse Racing Nation. “He is bred to do it, and the other day (in his race) going seven-eighths, it was impressive how he accelerated on the turn for home.”

As McCarthy noted, pedigree suggests the added distance should not be an issue for Hopper, who cost just $90,000 as a yearling. In addition to being by long-winded sire Declaration of War, Hopper’s dam Irridescence is by the Nureyev stallion Caesour.

High Connection was a $290,000 auction buy last year as a 2-year-old. By Connect, High Connection aired by 10 lengths in his debut for Baffert in late March at Santa Anita. He returned in a two-turn allowance May 8 for McCarthy and after a stumble at the break, chased Armagnac all the way around the track and was second beaten 4 1/4 lengths.

Armagnac would go on to the Preakness Stakes two weeks later where he set the pace for more than six furlongs before fading to seventh.

High Connection also enters Saturday with three works on the tab including a bullet six-furlong drill. 

“Like the other one, he’s also been training well,” McCarthy said. “He’s carrying good weight and good flesh. He came out of that race in good shape. Armagnac put in a huge effort obviously and then ran back in the Preakness. We decided to wait a little bit and I think we’ve got a fairly fresh horse coming into the race this weekend.”

Juan Hernandez, who rode both High Connection and Hopper last out, takes the call on High Connection in the Affirmed. Abel Cedillo will take over on Hopper.

As for Yakteen, he has enlisted hustling rider Edwin Maldonaldo on Newgrange and Drayden Van Dyke on Doppelganger.

Completing the field for the Affirmed is Fast Draw Munnings, winner of the California Cup Derby earlier this year who was third behind Armagnac and High Connection in the aforementioned allowance race; and Pioneering Papa, winner of a $100,000 maiden-claimer on May 21 at Santa Anita for trainer George Papaprodromou.

The Affirmed is carded as the seventh race on a 10-race program Saturday at Santa Anita. Approximate post time is 7 p.m. EDT.