Baffert Trio Faces McKinzie Street in American Pharoah

Though Getaway Car  couldn't capitalize on his Best Pal Stakes (G3) win to add the Del Mar Futurity (G1), he could bring plenty of speed to the Oct. 5 American Pharoah Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park. He is one of three from Bob Baffert's well-stocked stable of 2-year-olds and thus far has done most of his running on the front end.

Baffert won the Del Mar Futurity with undefeated Gaming , who will sit out the 1 1/16-mile American Pharoah. Instead, Baffert brings Futurity third and fourth Citizen Bull  and Getaway Car as well as maiden winner Emerald Bay .

Though Getaway Car, a son of Curlin  , had a 5 1/2-length Best Pal victory and 3 1/4-length maiden win on his résumé, Citizen Bull, a three-quarter-length maiden winner in his only start, went off as the Del Mar Futurity favorite. A son of Into Mischief  , Citizen Bull finished a neck ahead of Getaway Car in the Futurity.

Emerald Bay is a son of Nyquist  , who in 2015 strung together the Best Pal, Del Mar Futurity, and American Pharoah (then called the FrontRunner) prior to adding the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1). Emerald Bay has a second and first in two starts, and the American Pharoah will be his stakes debut.

Juan Hernandez has ridden Getaway Car and Emerald Bay in all of their starts and will stick with Getaway Car from post 7. Antonio Fresu gets the mount on Emerald Bay from post 5. Martin Garcia, who piloted Citizen Bull in his maiden win, but didn't ride him in the Futurity, returns from post 3.

McKinzie Street  split Baffert's trio in the Del Mar Futurity, running second to Gaming and beating Citizen Bull and Getaway Car. Tim Yakteen, a former Baffert assistant, trains McKinzie Street, a son of hot freshman sire McKinzie   (who was trained by Baffert). McKinzie Street defeated Emerald Bay by 3 1/2 lengths in a July 28 maiden race, the first outing for both colts. Kazushi Kimura has ridden McKinzie Street both times and does so again, from the rail.

McKinzie Street is one of several American Pharoah entries with ties to Quarter Horse racing. Baffert, of course, famously comes from the Quarter Horse world, but McKinzie Street's owners continue to have major Quarter Horse runners. On the same day as the American Pharoah, Pierre Jean and Leslie Amestoy and Roger Beasley have Quarter Horse stakes winner Out of the Way running in the Downs at Albuquerque Fall Quarter Horse Stakes (a top-level race) in New Mexico. Yakteen also trained 2023 Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Practical Move  for those owners.

James W. Glenn Jr., trainer of Best Pal Stakes second and American Pharoah entrant Mischief River , is better known as a Quarter Horse trainer. He has often trained major winners for Dr. Ed Allred, owner of Los Alamitos Race Course, and together they combined for 2015 American Quarter Horse Association champion aged mare Quirky. Bow River Ranch owns Mischief River, a son of Into Mischief. Following the Best Pal, Mischief River finished fourth in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes (G3T). Cesar Ortega, Mischief River's regular rider, will again be aboard, from post 4.

Todd Fincher trains both Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses, including multiple stakes-winning Quarter Horse Freedom Flash for the Amestoys and Beasley. He has Show of Force , a son of Omaha Beach   owned by Triple V Racing, entered in the American Pharoah. After breaking his maiden in his second start and first on turf, Show of Force ran fifth in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf. Fincher has named Umberto Rispoli from post 2.

Start Mo Up , a maiden after one start and a troubled trip, rounds out the field. Serafin Carmona rides from post 6 for trainer Joe Lejzerowicz.