Baffert Will Triple Team Them in Robert B. Lewis

[Wandering Eyes]

There's a reason why Bob Baffert has won the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes 12 times, including the last six running. At this time of year his barn is always loaded with talented 3-year-old colts who have one eye on the Lewis and another on the GI Kentucky Derby.

It will be a familiar story at Santa Anita Saturday as Baffert will send out three of the five horses entered in the Lewis. His trio is topped by 2-year-old champion and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Citizen Bull (Into Mischief), who will be making his first start of the year.

But he may not be the favorite. That's how impressive stablemate 'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez (Authentic) was when breaking his maiden last out by seven lengths while earning a 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

Baffert also has Madaket Road (Quality Road), a maiden winner in his last start. All three are owned by the partnership of SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables LLC.

Despite his strong hand, Baffert remains cautious when it comes to how these horses might perform in the Derby. He says it is too early to predict anything.

“We still have a long way to go,” Baffert said. “We have some nice horses but you really don't know until March or April and that last prep where you stand. You can be in a position where you think you are strong and then it turns out you are not as strong as you thought you were. They're still developing and we're still getting races into them. You try to get as many races into them as you can so you can have them ready and put that foundation into them. You don't really have a Derby horse until those last prep races. Until they go a mile-and-an-eighth, that's when we know. The mile-and-an-eighth separates these horses.”

After his front-running win in the Juvenile, Citizen Bull returned to the worktab on Dec. 13. He hasn't missed a beat since. But Baffert said he might be a horse that will do his best running a little later in the year.

“The Bull, he's a horse that may need a race or two,” Baffert said. “We found that out in the Del Mar Futurity when he got beat. It was only his second start and Mike Smith said he got a little tired. I'd rather race them than just train them, train them, train them. You have to get races into these horses.”

After finishing second in his debut in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden, Rodriguez hammered his opposition in another maiden, this one on Jan. 4 at Santa Anita.

“He's always trained like a nice horse,” Baffert said. “He reminds me a lot of Authentic. I think the Authentics are going to be really good. It's just that some of them are slow to mature. It took this one a while to come around. I don't think the distance should be a problem. The race will help him. He's the kind of horse that needs racing. Now, he needs to run.”

How the Lewis plays out on the track should be fascinating. Citizen Bull, Rodriguez and the Wesley Ward-trained Clock Tower (Not This Time) all have ample early speed. That sets up the possibility of a speed duel, one that might involve Citizen Bull, Rodriguez or both. Baffert said he will let their jockeys ride their own race. Martin Garcia rides Citizen Bull. Juan Hernandez rides Rodriguez.

“I usually let the jockeys ride their own horse,” Baffert said. “The break will be the key. I'm sure they'll play it off of the break. They'll ride their own horses and let them get into a nice rhythm.”

As good as Baffert's Lewis trio might be, it's possible that the best 3-year-old in his barn is one who won't be running Saturday.  That would be Barnes (Into Mischief), who was bought for $3.2 million by Amr Zedan at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. After a somewhat lackluster win in his Nov. 27 debut at Churchill Downs, he came back with a dominant performance in the GII San Vicente at seven furlongs.

“He still has to go two turns,” Baffert said. “He should handle it, but you don't know until they do it. So far, he looks good and we're trying to just trying to keep him healthy.”

Baffert said that he and Zedan are still working on a race schedule for Barnes.

Win or lose, this should be a memorable Derby for Baffert since it will be the first one he will be allowed to run in since 2021. Churchill Downs banned Baffert after Medina Spirit (Protonico), who crossed the wire first in the 2021 Derby, was disqualified after testing positive for betamethasone. The ban was lifted last fall and now the only thing Baffert has to worry about is how his horses are doing.

“It's over with and everything is good,” Baffert said. “I'm just trying to focus on what's in front of us.”

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