Baffert Pair Entered for Pasadena Stakes

Two highly regarded colts from the barn of trainer Bob Baffert are entered in the $200,000 Pasadena Stakes scheduled for March 17 at Santa Anita Park, but they likely won't meet on the track unless the race is washed off the turf.

Baffert said Hal and Patti Earnhardt's Ax Man will only run in the one-mile Pasadena, restricted to 3-year-olds, if it is moved to the main track—rain is expected in Southern California March 16, with a slight chance for precipitation Saturday—but Robert Baekeker, Michael Pageler, and Michael Sigband's undefeated Heck Yeah is already proven on both surfaces and could run on either.

Ax Man, a homebred son of Misremembered , impressed with a 9 1/2-length debut win Jan. 1 at Santa Anita, but got caught up in a vicious speed duel in the Feb. 10 San Vicente Stakes (G2) and tired harshly to finish a far-back fourth.

Heck Yeah, a 3-year-old Califorina-bred Acclamation colt, won his debut sprinting on dirt at Los Alamitos Race Course in December, went to the Santa Anita hillside turf course next to take the California Cup Turf Sprint Stakes Jan. 27, and then stretched out back on the main track Feb. 19 to win the California Cup Derby.

BALAN: Heck Yeah Speeds to Victory in California Cup Derby

But in Heck Yeah's first start against open company he'll have to contend with proven stakes winner Pubilius Syrus, who is riding a two-race win streak and has fired in his last four contests. The Candy Ride  colt broke his maiden at a mile on the grass in September at Santa Anita, finished second behind a freakish effort by Analyze It in the Nov. 26 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3T) at Del Mar, and broke through for his first stakes win Dec. 29 in the Eddie Logan back at Santa Anita, his final start as a 2-year-old. In his first start at 3, the Vladimir Cerin-trained colt took the Baffle Stakes sprinting down the Santa Anita hillside Feb. 18.

BALAN: Pubilius Syrus Edges Inscom in Eddie Logan Stakes

Also riding a two-race win streak into the Pasadena is Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal's River Boyne, who broke his maiden by five lengths on the Santa Anita grass Dec. 26, then took a first-level optional-claiming allowance by 2 3/4 lengths at the Arcadia, Calif., track last time out Feb. 8.

Rounding out the field are stakes-placed runners Afleet Ascent and Inscom, along with maiden winners Platinum Equity, Buckstopper Kit, and La La Land.

Entries: Pasadena S.

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, March 17, 2018, Race 8

• STK
• 1m
• Turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo
• 3:46 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Afleet Ascent (LA)	Rafael Bejarano	120	Jerry Hollendorfer	6/1
2	2Platinum Equity (KY)	Geovanni Franco	120	Richard Baltas	20/1
3	3River Boyne (IRE)	Joel Rosario	122	Jeff Mullins	3/1
4	4Pubilius Syrus (KY)	Corey S. Nakatani	124	Vladimir Cerin	5/2
5	5Heck Yeah (CA)	Mike E. Smith	124	Bob Baffert	5/1
6	6Buckstopper Kit (KY)	Rajiv Maragh	120	Jeff Mullins	20/1
7	7Ax Man (KY)	Evin A. Roman	120	Bob Baffert	4/1
8	8La La Land (IRE)	Joseph Talamo	120	Philip D'Amato	8/1
9	9Inscom (KY)	Tyler Baze	120	Simon Callaghan	7/2