Cobalt Blue, Air Commander test Derby dreams in San Felipe

Highly regarded three-year-olds COBALT BLUE (Golden Missile) and AIR

COMMANDER (Point Given) will put their Triple Crown ambitions to the test in

Saturday's $250,000 San Felipe S. (G2). The 1 1/16-mile affair, which serves as

the last local prep for the April 7 Santa Anita Derby (G1), has drawn a small

field of six.

The Doug O'Neill-trained Cobalt Blue returned from a six-month layoff on

February 14 and cruised to a one-length allowance victory, reeling off six

furlongs in a sharp 1:09 at the Arcadia, California, oval. The chestnut has been

working superbly in advance of this target, most recently blazing three-quarters

in a bullet 1:11 4/5 at Hollywood Park last Saturday, but he has class and

distance questions to answer. Not only will he be trying two turns for the first

time, but Cobalt Blue must also show much more than he did in his only other

stakes attempt, a seventh-place effort in the Best Pal S. (G2) at Del Mar.

Moreover, the Merv Griffin colorbearer is the least seasoned member of the

field, with only three lifetime starts under his belt.

Air Commander will make his stakes debut for Bob Baffert. The bay has plenty

of experience routing, having broken his maiden at this trip two starts back and

promptly followed up with an allowance score going 1 1/8 miles. Although Air

Commander has also been training well, zipping a half-mile in :46 4/5 at Santa

Anita on Tuesday, he too has something to prove in the San Felipe. The colt has

shown signs of immaturity, and both of his victories have come in rather slow

times.

Garrett Gomez had ridden both colts in their last starts, and their clash

here has forced the jockey to make a difficult choice. He and agent Ron Anderson

opted to stick with Air Commander. As a result, Victor Espinoza picked up the

mount on Cobalt Blue.

"(Air Commander's) got a little more seasoning than some of the other colts,"

Gomez explained. "He's run two turns three times now, and that gives him an

advantage, in my mind. He's a very talented colt, as are the others. He's got

some quirks which we're trying to resolve, but he seems like he's getting

better.

"Not taking anything away from Cobalt Blue, but I think right now he might be

a little behind some of these colts," Gomez continued. "I mean, he could win,

but my agent and I had to make a decision. You never want to be in that

situation, but it happened that both horses are running in the same race, and

the bridge had to be crossed."

Gomez had also previously piloted another prime contender, GRAPELLI (Thunder

Gulch), representing the all-conquering Todd Pletcher barn. The first foal of

Grade 2 queen Bella Bellucci (French Deputy), Grapelli graduated from the maiden

ranks in his fifth try and then finished third in the one-mile San Rafael S.

(G2). Pletcher is adding blinkers to the chestnut, who will be making his sixth

straight start at two turns. Richard Migliore has the call.

LEVEL RED (Aptitude) will test stakes company for the first time. A seasoned

router with a distance-oriented pedigree, the David Hofmans pupil is coming off

a 2 1/2-length allowance/optional claiming score.

TAP IT LIGHT (General Meeting), Cobalt Blue's uncoupled stablemate, will

break from the rail with Michael Baze. To his outside will come Cobalt Blue; DEE

RAIN (Afternoon Deelites), Clinton Potts; Air Commander; Grapelli; and Level

Red, Aaron Gryder.

Each sophomore will carry 116 pounds.

Five races earlier on the St. Patrick's Day card, California-bred distaffers

will take to the green in the $125,000

Irish

O'Brien S., an about 6 1/2-furlong scramble on the downhill turf. Headlining

the six-horse field are multiple stakes queens GN. GROUP MEETING (General

Meeting) and RIVER'S PRAYER (Devon Lane), while stakes debutante LA TORMENTA

(Lord Carson) will bid for her fifth straight win.