Plutarch records first stakes win, provides Baffert 14th Robert B. Lewis

A well-bred son of Into Mischief and champion Stellar Wind, Plutarch stepped up with a game performance and delivered Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert a record-extending 14th edition of Saturday’s $101,000 Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita, gaining the upper hand in deep stretch and prevailing by three-quarters of a length.

Florent Geroux, who moved his tack to Southern California earlier in the week, picked up the mount on the blossoming three-year-old, and Plutarch added 20 points, winning the Road to the Kentucky Derby Challenge series qualifier, increasing his point total to 23. The bay colt finished a close third in the American Pharoah (G1) last fall while still a maiden.

Plutarch switched to turf for his next two starts, breaking his maiden by a widening 4 1/4-length margin in a 1 1/8-mile event in late November, and he returned from a 69-day rest in the Lewis, improving his career record to 6-2-2-2.

Baffert, a six-time Kentucky Derby winner who has now won eight consecutive runnings of the Lewis, came away impressed.

“He’s getting better and better…I think we have a pretty good one here,” he said.

Off as the 4.10-1 co-third choice in the seven-horse field, Plutarch completed a mile in 1:37.02. He was one of three Baffert runners in the field.

American Pharoah winner Intrepido rebounded from a well-beaten fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), finishing a clear second for Jeff Mullins and adding 10 points to his Kentucky Derby ledger. Last-out maiden scorer Secured Freedom received his first qualifying points (6), finishing third.

Desert Gate, favored at 6-5 in his three-year-old opener for Baffert, didn’t break cleanly and lacked the necessary rally, finishing fourth. Stablemate Cherokee Nation came next in fifth and was followed by Robusta and Briggs Armypower.

Owned by the Coolmore connections of Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael Tabor, Plutarch was bred by Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt. The Kentucky-bred is the first stakes winner from the Curlin mare Stellar Wind, the champion three-year-old filly of 2015 and earner of more than $2.9 million. Into Mischief has sired a record-tying three Kentucky Derby winners.