Santa Anita Race Selection: Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes

By Rick Francis —-

SANTA ANITA

Race 6) 1&1/16th Mile. Robert B. Lewis S. LEWIS S.. Grade III. Purse $150,000 FOR THREE-YEAR-OLDS.Post Time: 5:53/ 4:53/ 3:53/( 2:53) ADVANCED FORECAST: Light Rain, High 58, Low 46

A field of six 3-year-olds will set down to do battle over what will be a wet Santa Anita main track with the running of the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes, contested at a mile and sixteenth; let’s have a look at the main contenders.

West Point Thoroughbreds, Pearl Racing’s son of Exchange Rate, (Gunmetal Gray 4) rebounded nicely from his BC Juvenile start to rally past six rivals in the Grade 3 Sham here last month. Conditioned and ridden by a pair of Hall of Famers in Jerry Hollendorfer and Mike Smith, the strapping grey may want to be a bit more forwardly placed in this as to avoid mud and the chance the track isn’t playing to closers. Either way, barring injury, he’ll be heard from again on his way to the 1st Saturday in May.

As has been the custom, the Bob Baffert barn churns out yet another potential Triple Crown threat with Michael Peterson’s Mucho Macho Man colt, (Mucho Gusto 5). Winner of the Grade 3 Bob Hope at Del Mar last November, he took a bit of a step back with a distant second finish in the G1 Los Al Futurity; make no mistake, Team Baffert will have him ready to fire.

The main threat to the top two comes from the outside with a Pioneer of the Nile ridgling in (Nolo Contesto 6), trained by John Sadler and ridden by Joel Rosario. He’s been working exceptionally well here and with the trainer/jock tandem hitting at a very strong 38 percent, they’re hard to overlook for the top spot.

The field from the rail:

1) Kid Cantina (Barocio/Franco, G)
2) Magnificent McCool (O’Neill/Prat)
3) Easy Shot (Desormeaux/Bejarano)
4) Gunmetal Gray (Hollendorfer/Smith)
5) Mucho Gusto (Baffert/Talamo)
6) Nolo Contesto (Sadler/Rosario)

Selections: 4, 5, 6, 2