3 minute read

He's actually race already at Churchill Downs and may head back in style!

Barnes, named for Baffert's assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes, won Saturday's San Vincente at Santa Anita in great style and now looks like heading to the Kentucky Derby with a "favourite" tag.  He's by Into Mischief out of an American Pharoah mare and Baffert says the horse reminds him of American Pharoah.  J J Hernandez had the ride and it would require a chain saw to separate him from the horse going forward.  Barnes was Baffert's first runner back at Churchill Downs after his time in the wilderness and he won but narrowly so Saturday's run shows improvement.  Romanesque was second and Bullard third.

In the Las Flores Chilean-bred Richi seems to have acclimatised now and defeated hot favourite Pleasant by 4 ½ lengths.  Interesting note in that Richi is by Practical Joke as is Romanesque who ran second in the San Vicente.