Muth All Class In Taking Grade II, $200,000 San Vicente Stakes By 2 ¾ Lengths

MUTH ALL CLASS IN TAKING GRADE II, $200,000 SAN VICENTE STAKES BY 2 ¾ LENGTHS AS BAFFERT RUNS 1-2 AND GETS RECORD 13TH WIN IN DERBY PREP

ARCADIA, CA (Jan. 6, 2024)—Cutting back in distance following a pair of Grade I stakes at a mile and one sixteenth, Bob Baffert’s Muth settled nicely in the early going and displayed his ample class through the lane as he outran talented stablemate Pilot Commander by 2 ¾ lengths to take Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita.

Owned by Zedan Racing Stables, Inc. and ridden by Juan Hernandez, Muth got seven furlongs in 1:23.01 and with Baffert running one-two, provided the white-haired wonder with his record 13th win in the San Vicente, an important steppingstone to the Grade I Santa Anita Derby on April 6.

Breaking sharply from post position three in a field of six, Muth settled into a comfortable trip down the backside, cruising in third, about a length and a half off pacesetter Slider and a half length off Pilot Commander heading to the three furlong marker.

Three-deep and on terms with Pilot Commander as Slider began to drop back a bit at the rail turning for home, Muth lengthened his considerable stride and with just a couple of reminders from Hernandez, waltzed to his second graded stakes victory while providing Hernandez with this third San Vicente win in-a-row.

Most recently second to presumptive 2-year-old champion Fierceness in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Juvenile here on Nov. 3, Muth was off at 2-5 and paid $2.80, $2.10 and $2.10.

By Good Magic out of the Uncle Mo mare Hoppa, Muth sold for $2 million at the Ocala Breeders March 2-year-old in training sale and with today’s winner’s share of $120,000, increased his earnings to $716,600. A winner of the Grade I American Pharoah Stakes two starts back on Oct. 7, Muth is now 5-3-2-0 overall.

A first-out maiden winner sprinting six furlongs on Nov. 11 at Del Mar, Pilot Commander, ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat, kept to his task late to deny a game Slider second money by a head. Off as the second choice at 5-2, Pilot Commander paid $2.80 and $2.10.

Slider, pressed the entire trip by Pilot Commander to his immediate outside, showed a lot of heart in battling back late under Joel Rosario. Off at 8-1, he paid $2.40 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.88, 45.27 and 1:09.76.

Racing resumes on Sunday with first post time for a nine-race card at 12 noon, admission gates open at 10 a.m.