02/07/26 08:39:00
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02/07 20:37 CST Plutarch wins Robert Lewis Stakes to give Baffert 8th straight
victory in the race for 3-year-olds
Plutarch wins Robert Lewis Stakes to give Baffert 8th straight victory in the
race for 3-year-olds
By BETH HARRIS
AP Racing Writer
ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) --- Plutarch defeated Intrepido by three-quarters of a
length in the Robert Lewis Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita, giving Hall of
Fame trainer Bob Baffert his eighth straight win in the race for 3-year-olds
and 14th overall.
Ridden by Florent Geroux, Plutarch ran one mile in 1:37.02 for his first stakes
victory and first win on dirt. He paid $10.20 to win.
"I felt he broke very alertly for me and put me in a great spot," Geroux said.
"When I asked him to move along in the lane, he responded really well. But he
waited for the horse on the inside a little bit. As soon as he came by me, my
horse gave me another gear."
Intrepido was second and Secured Freedom was third.
Baffert said Plutarch reminds him of Authentic, who won the 2020 Kentucky Derby
and Breeders' Cup Classic.
"He keeps getting better every week," Baffert said. "I don't think distance
will be a problem with him. This is very exciting. He's legit."
Plutarch moved into a tie with Intrepido for third on the Kentucky Derby
leaderboard with 23 qualifying points. It determines the 20-horse field for the
May 2 race.
Desert Gate, the 6-5 favorite also trained by Baffert, was fourth. Cherokee
Nation, Baffert's third entry, finished fifth.
"Desert Gate missed the break and I knew the one-hole would hurt us," Baffert
said. "I knew we were in trouble then because he is so one-dimensional."
Plutarch has two wins in six career starts and over $190,000 in earnings. Two
of his starts have been on turf, including his first career victory on Nov. 30
at Del Mar.
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AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing
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