Messier Bounces Back and Blows Them Away in Bob Lewis

[Wandering Eyes]

'TDN Rising Star' MESSIER (c, 3, Empire Maker–Checkered Past, by Smart Strike) returned to winning ways after a second-place finish in the GII Los Alamitos Derby to demolish his rivals in Sunday's GIII Robert B. Lewis S. The GIII Bob Hope S. winner broke well from the fence at 3-5 and tugged his way to the fore with little encouragement from John Velazquez. Second choice Sir London (Malibu Moon) chased the pace with longshot Cabo Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile) latched on to the top two three deep. Sir London was the first to blink as Cabo Spirit did his best to keep pace rounding the home bend, but there was no running down Messier, who galloped home by better than a dozen as nobody from the back made an impact. Cabo Spirit was second, while Messier's stablemate Wharton (Candy Ride {Arg}) was a distant third. The winner stopped the clock in 1:42.89. He becomes the fourth-straight Lewis winner for Baffert, who also sent out Saturday's GIII Las Virgenes S. winner. Messier did not earn any GI Kentucky Derby points due to Churchill Downs's current ban on Baffert runners.

Sunday, Santa Anita
ROBERT B. LEWIS S.-GIII, $200,000, Santa Anita, 2-6, 3yo,
1 1/16m, 1:42.89, ft.
1–MESSIER, 120, c, 3, by Empire Maker
1st Dam: Checkered Past (MSW, $334,284), by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Catch the Flag, by A.P. Indy
3rd Dam: Catch the Ring, by Seeking the Gold
'TDN Rising Star' ($470,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-SF Racing LLC,
Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson,
Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine M.
Donovan, Golconda Stable & Siena Farm LLC; B-Sam-Son Farm
(ON); T-Bob Baffert; J-John R. Velazquez. $120,000. Lifetime
Record: 5-3-2-0, $285,600. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Cabo Spirit, 124, c, 3, Pioneerof the Nile–Fancy Day (Ire), by
Shamardal. ($145,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP; $575,000 2yo '21
OBSAPR). O-Kretz Racing LLC; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY);
T-George Papaprodromou. $40,000.
3–Wharton, 120, c, 3, Candy Ride (Arg)–Her Smile, by Include.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($475,000 Ylg '20
KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables
LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge
Capital LLC, Catherine M. Donovan, Golconda Stable & Siena
Farm LLC; B-KatieRich Farms (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $24,000.
Margins: 15, 7, 4HF. Odds: 0.60, 18.20, 4.40.
Also Ran: Sir London, Happy Jack. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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