Newgrange Seeks Second San Pasqual

Newgrange  will seek his fourth graded stakes victory at Santa Anita Park when he tackles seven others in the Jan. 27 San Pasqual Stakes (G2). It would also be the 5-year-old's second consecutive San Pasqual win.

Express Train  most recently put together back-to-back San Pasqual victories, winning the 1 1/8-mile event in 2021-22. The similarities do not end there. Express Train won his first San Pasqual with Juan Hernandez aboard and his second with Victor Espinoza. Newgrange won last year's San Pasqual with Hernandez and gets the services of Espinoza from post 5 this time.

Express Train used the San Pasqual as a springboard to the Santa Anita Handicap (G1), running second in 2021 and winning in 2022. Newgrange ran seventh in last year's Big 'Cap, after which trainer Phil D'Amato freshened him. Newgrange returned seven months later to run third twice before capturing the Dec. 26 San Antonio Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita.

"This horse is starting to round into form," D'Amato said after the San Antonio. "I think the long layoff did him some good. I know he likes Santa Anita."

Another try in the Santa Anita Handicap, slated for March 2, may not be on the docket; the Feb. 24 Saudi Cup (G1) or the March 30 Dubai World Cup (G1) are follow-up race possibilities.

D'Amato has trained Newgrange since Rockingham Ranch bought him at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton July Horses of Racing Age Sale for $325,000 and began racing him with David Bernsen and Little Red Feather Racing. Before that, Bob Baffert trained Newgrange for an ownership group headed by SF Racing. Almost all of those owners still own Newgate , a Baffert trainee entered in the San Pasqual.

Winner of the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) last Feb. 4 as a 3-year-old, Newgate made his first start since then and his first against older runners in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance optional claimer Jan. 6 at Santa Anita. He finished second to multiple stakes winner Big City Lights . 

"That was a good effort after the layoff," Baffert said. "The winner ran a huge race. They went fast."

In the San Pasqual, Joel Rosario will pilot Newgate, who drew post 4.

Baffert also trains Sunny Brook Stables' Mr Fisk , to be ridden by Hernandez from post 6. 4-year-old Mr Fisk is coming off back-to-back stakes victories at Del Mar, in the Sept. 3 Shared Belief Stakes and in the Nov. 26 Native Diver Stakes (G3). He defeated Newgrange in the latter.

"This is a tough little race," said Baffert, whose last San Pasqual win came with Hoppertunity   in 2015. "It should be a good prep for the Big 'Cap for both of them."

Trainer Doug O'Neill has also entered two in the San Pasqual: Two Rivers Over  (Edwin Maldonado, post 1) and Mixto  (Antonio Fresu, post 7). Two Rivers Over most recently won the Nov. 28 Zia Park Derby in his final start at 3. Mixto ran second to Newgrange in the San Antonio in his first race since breaking his maiden in his seventh start.

Stilleto Boy  (Mike Smith, post 2) has back class, with three stakes wins and nine stakes placings and earnings of $1,821,175. But the 6-year-old gelding has not won since the Santa Anita Handicap this past March and ran last of five in the San Antonio.

War At Sea  (Hector Berrios, post 8) and I'mgonnabesomebody  (Kazushi Kimura, post 3) have run many of their best races on surfaces other than dirt and are longshots.