Last time at the races, Brant grudgingly gave way and finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Del Mar on Oct. 31.
More than four months later, and with the two horses that beat him no longer on the Triple Crown trail (Ted Noffey, Mr. A.P.), Brant is ready for his 3-year-old debut in the $200,000 San Felipe Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita on Saturday.
Brant could end up as trainer Bob Baffert’s top Kentucky Derby (G1) contender, but he’ll first have to prove he can conquer the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe at a distance, something he was unable to do in the BC Juvenile.
A gray son of top sire Gun Runner, Brant is the even-money favorite in a field of seven 3-year-olds in this steppingstone to the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 4. The San Felipe is a Kentucky Derby qualifier with the top five finishers earning 50-25-15-10-5 points on a sliding scale.
Brant, a record $3 million purchase by Zedan Racing Stables at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale for 2-Year-Olds in Training, won his debut at 5 ½ furlongs in August, then won the 7-furlong Del Mar Futurity (G1) in September prior to the BC Juvenile.
A front-runner, Brant will be ridden for the first time by Florent Geroux, leaving from post 4.
Brant was being pointed to last week’s Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park, but Baffert said the colt wasn’t ready. Brant instead worked 5 furlongs in 59.80 seconds at Santa Anita on Sunday. Still, Baffert said: “He’ll barely be ready for this, but he’s got a lot of class.”
Baffert, seeking 10th San Felipe win, also sends out Potente, a $2.4 million purchase by Speedway Stable. A son of top sire Into Mischief, Potente won his debut at 6 furlongs in January and is the third choice at 9-2. Juan Hernandez has the call leaving from post 5.
This race does not look like an all-Baffert affair with the likes of serious challengers So Happy, 2-1 for trainer Mark Glatt, and Secured Freedom at 8-1 for trainer Tim Yakteen.
So Happy has done everything right. The bay son of Runhappy is 2-0, winning his debut in November and capturing the 7-furlong San Vicente Stakes (G2) over Baffert-trained Buetane. Hall of Famer Mike Smith rides from post 6.
So Happy worked 4 furlongs in 46.80 seconds at Santa Anita on Sunday with Smith aboard.
“Dynamite. He’s never been a flashy workhorse in the morning, a bit lazy actually, but this was one of his best works, if not the best. He was just cruising. It was all him.”
As for the added distance in the San Felipe, Smith said, “You never know until they do it. But he’s given me every indication in his sprint races that he would do it. I never felt like I was on fumes at the end.”
Secured Freedom is 1-for-3 and finished a closing third behind Plutarch and Intrepido in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) on Feb. 7, but the Practical Joke colt is a tempting longshot.
The rest of the field includes Flashy Fritz, Star the Ride, and Robusta.
The San Felipe is part of an 11-race blockbuster card that also features the Santa Anita Handicap (G1), the Beholder Mile (G1), and the Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G2) on the turf.
Post time for the San Felipe is 6:41 p.m. ET (race 8).
Richard Rosenblatt is an award-winning journalist and former Associated Press Horse Racing Editor. Currently, he serves as the news editor at US Racing, overseeing exclusive content from contributors worldwide.
