Baffert's Undefeated Newgrange Tops $1M Rebel Field
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Photo: Coady Photography
Newgrange wins the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park
As much as the Feb. 21 disqualification of Medina Spirit in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and a 90-day suspension for trainer Bob Baffert may be the talk of the racing industry, Baffert's stable will be in action this weekend in some rather rich stakes.
High among the list is the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds Feb. 26 at Oaklawn Park, where Baffert's undefeated Newgrange will take another step on a Triple Crown trail that has a roadblock to the final destination.
While Baffert plans to appeal the 90-day ban that starts March 8, he is facing a separate two-year suspension at Churchill Downs and at the moment his 3-year-olds such as Newgrange cannot compete in the Kentucky Derby or compile qualifying points for it in prep races.
Though that means some portion of the 85 qualifying points (50-20-10-5 to the top four finishers) up for grabs in the Rebel may be vacated, it does not change the task for Newgrange's rivals in the 1 1/16-mile Rebel.
A son of Violence , Newgrange is a perfect 3-for-3 in his young career, including stakes wins in the Jan. 1 Sham Stakes (G3) and Jan. 29 Southwest Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn.
Bred by Jack Mandato and Black Rock Thoroughbreds in Kentucky, Newgrange was purchased by "The Avengers" partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables for $125,000 from the Brookdale Sales consignment at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The ownership group has since grown to include Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan, Golconda Stable, and Siena Farm.
"Newgrange breezed very well last weekend," said Madaket Stables' Sol Kumin. "He's a horse Bob is excited about moving forward and he's comfortable shipping him for the race. We hope he runs well Saturday."
Last time out, Newgrange rolled to a 1 1/2-length victory in the Southwest, the stepping stone prep for the Rebel.
Among Baffert's other runners Saturday is Pinehurst , a Twirling Candy 3-year-old running in the $1.5 million Saudi Derby Presented by Al Rajhi Bank (G3) at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Saudi Arabia for the same ownership group as Newgrange.
Baffert also entered the San Vincente Stakes (G2) third McLaren Vale in an allowance optional claimer on the Rebel undercard, but the colt will not ship to Oaklawn.
"He was a touch claustrophobic upon loading this morning; it was all new to him, his first time on a plane. These things happen. He's now safely back in his stall at (Santa Anita Park)," SF Racing's Tom Ryan tweeted Wednesday about McLaren Vale.
The field of 11 for the million-dollar stakes includes the top five finishers in the Southwest.
WSS Racing's Barber Road was second in the Southwest for trainer John Ortiz, rallying from 11th to grab the place spot in the 1 1/16-mile stakes. A Race Day colt, he was second in his last three starts, which also includes the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn and the Lively Shively Stakes at Churchill Downs, and has eight Kentucky Derby qualifying points, placing him 17th on the leaderboard.
Dash Attack was the 3-1 second choice in the Southwest behind Newgrange but didn't fire and checked in fifth for Catalyst Stable, Magdalena Racing, Kevin Pollard, and Patty Slevin. Trainer Ken McPeek was disappointed in that effort by the Smarty Jones winner but believes the son of Munnings can bounce back Saturday.
"I thought we went a little soft on him before the last race. We missed some training because of the ice and frozen racetracks," said McPeek, whose runner landed the outside post and is 13th with 10 Kentucky Derby points. "He's had two strong breezes since then and I think you will see him run better."
Also from the Southwest, Willis Horton Racing's Ben Diesel (Will Take Charge ), who was third, and James Rogers and Michael Robinson's Kavod (Lea ), who was fourth, will also return in the Rebel.
Trainer Steve Asmussen will send out a trio in MyRacehorse Stable's Chasing Time , L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds' Stellar Tap , and HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud's Cairama .
Chasing Time, a son of Not This Time , is coming off a 7 3/4-length victory in a Jan. 14 mile allowance optional claimer at Oaklawn while trying two turns for the first time.
"He's obviously got plenty of speed, plenty of pace, and he showed that early," Asmussen said. "But going two turns, the separation and the ease in which he did it, plus his last eighth of a mile of his first two-turn race in :12 2/5 under minimal encouragement, and how he has trained since, it has us very excited."
Stellar Tap, a Tapit 3-year-old, earned a spot in racing history Aug. 7 when he accounted for Asmussen's 9,446th victory, giving the Hall of Fame trainer the all-time record for career victories.
He was unplaced in two subsequent graded starts at 2 and began 2022 with a third in a Jan. 22 optional claimer at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
Cairama broke slowly and was sixth in the Smarty Jones in his 3-year-old debut.
Additional reporting by Byron King.
Oaklawn Park, Saturday, February 26, 2022, Race 11Entries: Rebel S. (G2)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Kavod (KY)
Francisco Arrieta
117
Chris A. Hartman
12/1
2
2Newgrange (KY)
John R. Velazquez
122
Bob Baffert
9/5
3
3Cairama (KY)
Geovanni Franco
117
Steven M. Asmussen
15/1
4
4Un Ojo (NY)
Ramon A. Vazquez
117
Ricky Courville
12/1
5
5Texas Red Hot (KY)
Ricardo Santana, Jr.
119
Randy L. Morse
12/1
6
6Stellar Tap (KY)
Cristian A. Torres
117
Steven M. Asmussen
10/1
7
7Ben Diesel (KY)
Jon Kenton Court
117
Dallas Stewart
6/1
8
8Chasing Time (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
122
Steven M. Asmussen
8/1
9
9Barber Road (KY)
Reylu Gutierrez
117
John Alexander Ortiz
9/2
10
10Ethereal Road (KY)
Luis Contreras
117
D. Wayne Lukas
12/1
11
11Dash Attack (KY)
David Cohen
122
Kenneth G. McPeek
8/1
