Santa Anita news: Baffert works 'around the rain' with Derby prospects

Robert B. Lewis Stakes winner Mucho Gusto, one of Bob Baffert’s leading Kentucky Derby 2019 candidates, worked four furlongs in company Thursday with the filly Honeyfromthesouth as Santa Anita Park's main track opened up again following expert evaluation to begin the week.

Both horses were clocked in a bullet 47.60 seconds for the half mile. Joe Talamo was aboard  Mucho Gusto, who is slated to run in either the March 16 Rebel Stakes or the March 24 Sunland Derby.

Despite the rash of recent rain, Baffert’s dynamic undefeated duo of champion Game Winner and Improbable remain on course for the Grade 2, $500,000 San Felipe Stakes on March 9, a race that offers 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner.

 “I’ve been working around the rain,” said Baffert, who has a long-range goal in mind.

“I want them to meet in the Derby,” he said.

Joel Rosario has the mount on Game Winner in the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe, while Drayden Van Dyke pilots Improbable.

TOP JOCKS VIE FOR SANTA ANITA RIDING HONORS

When agent Ron Anderson brought Hall of Fame jockey-in-waiting Joel Rosario to Santa Anita to ride on an everyday basis at the Winter Meet, it changed the dynamics of the jockeys’ race.

Through 37 racing days Rosario and his primary adversary, Flavien Prat, have outdistanced the field in the battle for the riding title, to date winning 44 and 41 races, respectively. Heriberto Figueroa is a distant third with 22 victories.

The top two also are more than a million dollars ahead of their nearest rivals in money won this meet, Prat in front of Rosario, $2,568,554 to $2,270,864.

Rosario, the regular rider of undefeated Eclipse Award champion as outstanding 2-year-old male of 2018 Game Winner, and Prat, also are among the national leaders in wins and purse earnings.

“We’ve been well-received and we’ve done well,” Anderson said. “Joel is a really great rider and a really good kid at the end of the day, which everybody recognizes. He’s an exceptional rider and very likable.”

Underplaying his own contribution to the team’s success, Anderson said, “The good ones make things easy.”

Prat’s agent, Derek Lawson, is enjoying the ride and the competition.

“It’s been fun,” he said. “The fact that we’re challenging Joel and Ron is exactly the way we thought it would be when he came out here, back and forth, back and forth between the two.

“And you know what? It looks like all the riders here are having a good season, although we’ve separated ourselves from the rest of the group. Saturday Rosario goes out of town but we’ve been out of town, too, so we’ve both missed time here.

“But it’s been exciting and we’re working hard. Flavien is riding extremely well and I’m actually picking some good horses for him to ride, so it’s all been a plus.”

STUBBINS GOES LONG FOR TEAM O’NEILL IN PASADENA

Stubbins, a Kentucky-bred son of Morning Line, stretches out to a mile on grass in Saturday’s $100,000 Pasadena Stakes for 3-year-olds after two narrow victories on Santa Anita’s unique downhill turf course at about 6 ½ furlongs.

Stubbins broke his maiden on Jan. 5, winning by a nose, then returned Feb. 10 in an overnight race over the same venue to win by a neck. Owned by McShane Racing, the colt has never been worse than third in four career starts.

“We always thought he was a nice horse,” said Leandro Mora, assistant to the meet’s leading trainer, Doug O’Neill. “After he finished third in his first race going five-and-a-half furlongs on dirt at Del Mar (last Aug. 4), he had a little shin issue, so we took our time with him.

“But we believed he would like a distance and he proved it to us two races back (coming from 10th in a field of 12 to get up by a nose at the wire).”

As to Team O’Neill’s current success, Mora said, “We’re thrilled. We always do the best we can and we’ll try to stay afloat.”

The field for the Pasadena, race six of 10 with a 12:25 p.m. first post time: Stubbins, Tyler Baze, 7-2; $2,000 supplemental nominee Much Better, Joe Talamo, 9-2; Eagle Song, Drayden Van Dyke, 8-1; Colonial Creed, Geovanni Franco, 4-1; Shining Through, Flavien Prat, 12-1; Rijeka, Mario Gutierrez, 3-1; Mayor Cobb, Tiago Pereira, 15-1; Neptune’s Storm, Kent Desormeaux, 5-1; and Big Scott Daddy, Mike Smith, 4-1.