ARCADIA, Calif. – Grade 1 winner Brant is in, and Grade 1 winner Intrepido is out of the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes next weekend at Santa Anita.
Brant worked a solo five furlongs in :59.80 Sunday morning, after which trainer Bob Baffert said he planned to enter the colt in the San Felipe on March 7. It will be Brant’s first start since he finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Oct. 31.
“I was trying to make the Rebel with him, but he (was not ready),” Baffert said Sunday. “He’ll barely be ready for this (San Felipe), but he’s got a lot of class.” Instead of shipping Brant to Oaklawn Park for the Rebel on Sunday, Baffert sent Litmus Test.
Brant, a $3 million Gun Runner colt, won his debut last summer at Del Mar with a 101 Beyer, and followed with a gate-to-wire win in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity. He finished third to Ted Noffey and Mr. A. P. in the BC Juvenile. Ted Noffey and Mr. A. P. both are off the Kentucky Derby trail.
Baffert said he also plans to start debut sprint winner Potente in the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe.
Intrepido, winner of the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes last fall at Santa Anita and runner-up in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis in his comeback on Feb. 7 at Santa Anita, will skip the San Felipe and aim for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 4.
“He ran too hard last time,” trainer Jeff Mullins said Sunday morning. “After that race, and watching him come back after the race as tired as he was, I knew the San Felipe was no shot.”
Mullins’ concern is Intrepido may bounce off the taxing comeback. Instead of the San Felipe, Mullins will give Intrepido another four weeks into the Santa Anita Derby. Intrepido worked five furlongs Saturday in 1:02.20.
Intrepido probably needs a top-three finish in the Santa Anita Derby to be insured a berth in the Kentucky Derby. Intrepido has 23 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. The Santa Anita Derby offers 100 points to the winner, 50 to the runner-up, and 25 for third. It is estimated at least 40 points will be required to make the Derby field.
Cherokee Nation is in a similar situation. A runaway maiden winner on Friday with a 100 Beyer, Cherokee Nation also is aiming to the Santa Anita Derby. Cherokee Nation has three Derby qualifying points.
So Happy worked a half-mile Sunday under Mike Smith, and will stretch to two turns for the first time in the San Felipe. Mark Glatt trains So Happy, 2-for-2 winner of the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs.
Secured Freedom, wide-trip third in the Lewis, worked five furlongs in :59.60 Saturday and is expected to start in the San Felipe.
As of Sunday morning, the San Felipe field was likely to include Brant, So Happy, Secured Freedom, Potente, Start the Ride, and Robusta.
Baffert said plans are pending for San Felipe nominees Boyd and Buetane.
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