ARCADIA, Calif. – Before they part ways in separate Breeders’ Cup races at Del Mar, National Treasure and Muth will head the same direction on Saturday at Santa Anita – toward the lead in the Grade 1 California Crown Stakes.
The day’s richest race, the $1 million California Crown was renamed and rejuvenated this year. The purse was tripled by Santa Anita owner 1/ST Racing, which hopes to make the California Crown program the West Coast equivalent of the Pegasus World Cup winter program in Florida.
The stakes-filled card Saturday at Santa Anita includes three Grade 2 turf races – the Eddie D for turf sprinters on the hill, John Henry at 1 1/4 miles, and City of Hope Mile.
The 1 1/8-mile California Crown may be a Bob Baffert rerun. He won the race twice as the Goodwood Handicap at Santa Anita, once at Hollywood Park, and five times as the Awesome Again at Santa Anita. Baffert seeks a ninth Goodwood-Awesome Again-California Crown win.
The dominance is likely to continue. Baffert starts half the six-runner field. Grade 1 winners National Treasure and Muth will vie for California Crown favoritism and role of pacesetter. Grade 1-winning comebacker Newgate is Baffert’s third runner.
The field includes Group 1 Saudi Cup winner Senor Buscador, Group 1 winner Subsanador, and longshot Katonah. Indispensable will scratch. He shipped to Remington Park for a race Sunday.
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Only six of the 23 California Crown nominees will run, and trainer Todd Fincher recognizes late-runner Senor Buscador is up against it on pace.
“It looks like Baffert can control the race,” Fincher said. “It looks like [National Treasure and Muth] have the opportunity to slow the pace down, as slow as they want. My horse is gonna go to the back of the bus, and it’s just about impossible to beat that kind with a slow pace.”
Senor Buscador finished fourth in a comeback sprint last month at Del Mar, and will use the California Crown to prep for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. “Hopefully he gives us a big finish and be ready for the Classic, which will be loaded with speed.”
A botched workout last weekend further compromises Senor Buscador. He was a quarter-mile into the drill when it was aborted due to a loose horse. Fincher said Senor Buscador “was supposed to go five-eighths with a good gallop-out. then the siren went off, so [jockey Joe Talamo] pulled him up, backed up again, and worked him three-eighths.”
Baffert’s National Treasure, Muth, and Newgate avoided the training mishap. National Treasure, who won the Grade 1 Pegasus and Grade 1 Met Mile this year, makes his first start since an odds-on sixth-place finish Aug. 3 on a muddy track at Saratoga in the Grade 1 Whitney.
“I think two shippings got to him a little bit, and he’s never run well on a wet track,” Baffert said. Flavien Prat rides National Treasure, who Baffert said will use the California Crown to prep for the BC Dirt Mile, in which he finished second last year.
Muth and Newgate will aim to the BC Classic, pending Saturday. Muth, winner of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby, got sick and scratched from the Preakness Stakes, a setback that knocked him out until late summer. He returned Sept. 1 to win the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar.
“It was a great race. He ran hard,” Baffert said. “I was actually pointing him to the Pacific Classic, but changed my mind at the last minute.”
After the Shared Belief, Baffert considered sending Muth to the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby.
“I didn’t want to ship him,” he said. “The last time I shipped him he got real sick, it knocked him out.”
Juan Hernandez rides Muth, who is expected to be positioned first or second with National Treasure.
Newgate won the Santa Anita Handicap, then finished ninth in the Dubai World Cup in March. Newgate, whose rider is John Velazquez, could need the race.
“He’s coming off a long layoff,” Baffert said. “This is probably a prep for the BC Classic. He’s training very well, he looks good, freshened up, filled out, a beautiful horse.”
Baffert expressed enthusiasm last week when Newgate worked five furlongs with Prince of Monaco. “There’s another one that joins the Crown,” Baffert exclaimed as Newgate drew away.
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Subsanador finished second to Newgate in the Santa Anita Handicap, and subsequently was sold and changed trainers from John Sadler to Richard Mandella. Subsanador returned to form last out by winning the Grade 3 Philip Iselin Stakes at Monmouth Park.
“It took us a little while to get to know him, but he’s settled in and pretty happy now,” Mandella said, indicating the BC Classic and Dirt Mile are under consideration. Mike Smith rides Subsanador, who should be forwardly placed behind National Treasure and Muth.
The California Crown is the first leg of a two-day, $5 double linked to the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes on Sunday. The takeout rate is 15 percent.
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