Forbidden Kingdom Attempts to Carry Speed in San Felipe

More than a class test awaits several participants in the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park. The 1 1/16-mile race will also measure the stamina of three stretch-out sprinters—Beautiful Art , Doppelganger , and Forbidden Kingdom .

None of the three have raced beyond seven furlongs, and Kaleem Shah's Beautiful Art has yet to race beyond three quarters.

Despite their lack of route experience, likely to be among the favorites are Forbidden Kingdom and Doppelganger, 1-4 in the seven-furlong San Vicente Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park Jan. 29. Forbidden Kingdom won that race in front-running fashion, while Doppelganger ran evenly to check in 2 3/4 lengths behind the winner, a neck out of third and a half-length away from second.

The race's runner-up, Pinehurst , won the Al Rajhi Bank Saudi Derby (G3) last week in Saudi Arabia.

Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, an eight-time winner of the San Felipe, including the past two years with Authentic   and Life Is Good , trains Doppelganger (Into Mischief  ), as he does Armagnac  (Quality Road  ), a front-running maiden winner entered in the San Felipe. Baffert's two entries have the same owners—the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan, Golconda Stable, and Siena Farm.

Doppelgänger and Armagnac schooled this morning for Saturday's G2 San Filipe ☑️ @BobBaffert @santaanitapark pic.twitter.com/gwmv7pR64y

— Tom Ryan. (@TomRyanKY) March 2, 2022

Neither horse is eligible Saturday for qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby due to Churchill Downs Inc.'s suspension of Baffert through the middle of 2023 for medication violations. The San Felipe otherwise offers qualifying points on a 50-20-10-5 basis to its top four finishers.

Though already a stakes winner, Forbidden Kingdom has not yet earned any points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby with the San Vicente not part of the series. His Hall of Fame trainer, Richard Mandella, initially raced him in short races.

He won his debut at 5 1/2 furlongs last summer at Del Mar, finished third in the five-furlong Speakeasy Stakes at Santa Anita, and was second in the Bob Hope Stakes (G3) at Del Mar before his San Vicente triumph. He has led after the opening quarter in all four of his races.

"He is probably the speed," acknowledged Mandella. "He's just naturally fast. We're just going to hope he can go that far."

Mandella won the San Felipe in 1994 with Soul of the Matter and the 1995 edition with Afternoon Deelites.

Forbidden Kingdom's pedigree is a blend of stamina and speed. His sire, American Pharoah  , won the 2015 Triple Crown for Baffert, while his dam, the Five Star Day mare Just Louise , recorded her two victories at five and six furlongs as a juvenile. Her top achievement was a victory in the 2010 Debutante Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.

Juan Hernandez returns in the irons on Forbidden Kingdom, while Flavien Prat is back aboard Doppelganger, whom he also rode to a 3 1/2-length debut score at Los Alamitos Race Course Dec. 11.

Trainer Doug O'Neill, who won the 2007 San Felipe with Cobalt Blue , starts Calumet Farm's Happy Jack , who races without blinkers off after a poor try with the equipment when fifth in the Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita Feb. 6, and turf-to-dirt runner Worse Read Sanchez  for owner Reddam Racing.

The remaining entrant is Kretz Racing's Cabo Spirit , second, beaten 15 lengths by Messier  in the Lewis.

Entries: San Felipe S. (G2)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, March 05, 2022, Race 6

• Grade II
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $400,000
• 3 yo
• 2:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Happy Jack (KY)	Abel Cedillo	120	Doug F. O'Neill	8/1
2	2Worse Read Sanchez (CA)	Mario Gutierrez	120	Doug F. O'Neill	20/1
3	3Armagnac (KY)	John R. Velazquez	120	Bob Baffert	5/1
4	4Beautiful Art (KY)	Mike E. Smith	120	Simon Callaghan	12/1
5	5Doppelganger (KY)	Flavien Prat	120	Bob Baffert	9/5
6	6Forbidden Kingdom (KY)	Juan J. Hernandez	120	Richard E. Mandella	8/5
7	7Cabo Spirit (KY)	Victor Espinoza	122	George Papaprodromou	5/1