Promising Sir London makes Kentucky Derby trail debut in Lewis

Sir London, a 10-length maiden winner as the 3-10 favorite Dec. 4 at Los Alamitos, worked four furlongs last weekend in 47.40 for Sunday’s Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes.

The Lewis offers $200,000 in purse money and is a major steppingstone to the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 9. It offers Road to the 2022 Kentucky Derby points on a 10-4-2-1 basis.

“He moved great. I’m really happy,” said Simon Callaghan, who trains the $700,000 son of Malibu Moon for AMO Racing USA and Qatar Racing Limited.

Leading rider Flavien Prat, who has been aboard in each of Sir London’s three starts, retains the mount.

“He broke his maiden at a mile so I think he should handle the mile and one-sixteenth of the Lewis fine,” Callaghan said.

Sir London prompted the pace in his first two races, sprints at Santa Anita and Del Mar, finishing second, before stretching out to a mile and leading throughout at Los Alamitos.

Messier, the 6-5 morning line favorite, has been favored in each of his four races, three times at odds-on while wearing blinkers, including last out Dec. 11 at 1-2 when second in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), his first start around two turns.

Trainer Bob Baffert removes the blinkers for the Lewis.

Formerly run as the Santa Catalina Stakes, the Robert B. Lewis was renamed for Lewis following his death on Feb. 17, 2006.

Along with his wife, Beverly, who died at 90 on Oct. 20, 2017, they were active philanthropists and had six Eclipse Award-winning horses, among them Silver Charm, winner of the 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.