Newgate wins Robert B. Lewis Stakes in an all-Bob Baffert race

There was never any question that trainer Bob Baffert would have a horse that would win Saturday’s $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes Class 3 in Santa Anita as he trained all four in the embarrassingly small field. The only question was who would cross the finish line first.

It turned out to be the favourite, Newgate, with Frankie Dettori on board. It was Newgate’s second win in six starts.

It was a qualifying race for Kentucky Derby points, except Baffert is currently not allowed to earn Derby points as he is a year in a two-year ban from Churchill Downs following the controversial disqualification of Medina Spirit in the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

On Saturday, Arabian Knight took the lead in the 1 1/16 mile race. Newgate felt comfortable at the back of the compact field early in the race. Dettori urged the 3-year-old to head into the back corner and then found himself hard to figure at the top of the track. Newgate, running on the outside, moved forward late and won by a narrow margin.

Newgate paid $4.00 and $2.60, followed by Hard to Figure, Worcester, and Arabian Lion. There were no show bets.

“I was really nervous before the race, worried that something strange was going to happen,” Baffert told Santa Anita’s public relations department. “But now I can relax.”

Baffert won the Lewis for the 11th time. He was a trainer to the late horse owner and philanthropist.

“Frankie Dettori taught [Newgate] how to sit back, relax and come up with a punch, and he did that,” Baffert said of Saturday’s race. “Arabian Lion looked like he was in a good place, came up a bit tired and we’re not sure about the distance restrictions.

“Worcester was right there and I think Hard to Figure put on an incredible race. … I’m very proud of them all.”

The fact that Baffert had the only horses running is a testament to his dominance at the Santa Anita 3-year dirt races, where the majority of the horses run on turf.

All Kentucky Derby points from the Lewis Stakes have been vacated for now. Baffert was in Kentucky Thursday and Friday under a restraining order he filed against Churchill Downs that would allow him to compete on horses in this year’s Kentucky Derby.

One issue raised during the two-day federal court hearing was that Justify’s 2018 positive test for scopolamine was a factor in Churchill’s decision to suspend the trainer.

Baffert’s attorney, Clark Brewster, got Churchill Downs President Mike Anderson to say he was unaware that the California Horse Racing Board’s case against Baffert was being dismissed because the positive test was the result of contamination , which affected horses in other stables.

The judge’s decision is expected in the next few weeks.

In other races Saturday in Santa Anita, Quattroelle ($23.60 up for grabs) won the 1-mile Grade 3 $100,000 megahertz stakes, Fun to Dream (3.00) won the $200,000 Grade 2 Santa -Monica Stakes Across Seven Stadiums and Earls Rock ($9.80) won the 1.6km turf Grade 3 $100,000 Thunder Road Stakes.