Jockey Juan Hernandez executed an impeccable ride, guiding Potente to his inaugural graded stakes triumph in the $201,000 Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes, sponsored by DK Horse, at Santa Anita Park on March 7. This win establishes Potente as the newest hopeful from trainer Bob Baffert for the Kentucky Derby, presented by Woodford Reserve, scheduled for May 2.
Potente started swiftly but was then restrained to track closely behind the front-runners. He maintained a stalking position along the backstretch before commencing his pursuit of competitors around the far turn. Entering the homestretch, Potente occupied the third spot and commenced making progress. Propelled by a strong drive along the grandstand railing in the closing sixteenth of a mile, he pushed forward to narrowly defeat the 67-1 outsider Robusta precisely at the finish line. Robusta secured the runner-up position, trailing the victor by only a head.
Competitors finishing from first to fifth place were awarded points for the Road to the Kentucky Derby, distributed as 50-25-15-10-5.
The Mark Glatt-conditioned So Happy claimed third place. Secured Freedom ended up in fourth, while Baffert’s strong favorite, Brant, secured fifth in his initial race since placing third in the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, presented by TAA, last autumn. Brant set the pace in the San Felipe, posting split times of :22.88, :46.62, and 1:10.42, consistently challenged by So Happy, before losing steam at the quarter pole and fading during the stretch run.
The previous year’s victor of the San Felipe, Journalism, subsequently achieved a second-place finish in the 2025 Kentucky Derby.
“I anticipated a rapid early pace. I believe Brant needed one more preparation run for this race; he became fatigued,” commented Baffert. “Potente possesses the pedigree for extended distances. He was adequately prepared for this challenge. (Kazushi) Kimura, who piloted Potente in his first outing, indicated to me that he considered the horse suitable for two turns. I was somewhat let down by Brant. We are progressing with Potente, and he will have one more race before the Kentucky Derby.”
With only a couple of races under his belt, Potente’s performance on Saturday ($18.20) might herald just the start of his potential.
“This thoroughbred possesses considerable talent. He’s sizable, powerful, and performed admirably today,” remarked Hernandez about the victorious horse. “As we rounded the final turn, I guided him slightly outward, and it took a moment for him to accelerate, largely because, as I mentioned, he’s quite large. However, he is genuinely a superb horse. It’s only his second race, and he’s showing improvement. I anticipate he will be even more impressive in his next outing.”
The team behind Robusta also holds the conviction that their horse will continue to progress following his second-place performance.
“He performed exceptionally well. The addition of blinkers was key today,” stated trainer Doug O’Neill. “We are aiming for the Santa Anita Derby and then the Kentucky Derby. Let’s proceed.”
Potente currently holds a perfect record of two wins from two starts, accumulating $162,000 in prize money, having broken his maiden on January 31 at Santa Anita. He is under the ownership of Speedway Stables, which acquired this progeny of the seven-time champion sire Into Mischief for $2.4 million at Fasig-Tipton’s 2024 The Saratoga Sale. — Lizzie Madden
British Isles surged past the front-runners, Midnight Mammoth and Getaway Car, during the second bend, then widened his lead in the homestretch to secure a commanding win for trainer Richard Baltas and jockey Diego Herrera in the $300,000 Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap, sponsored by Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Miguel, held on March 7 at Santa Anita.
Vodka Vodka advanced to finish second, ahead of Getaway Car in third position. The favored Just a Touch ended up fourth, while Midnight Mammoth faded to the rear in a race limited to five participants following the prior withdrawals of Skippylongstocking and Westwood.
British Isles completed the 1 1/4-mile distance on a quick dirt track in 2:05.17. He paid out $16.40 for a $2 winning bet. The prestigious “Big Cap” signified jockey Diego Herrera’s inaugural Grade 1 Thoroughbred triumph of his professional career. — Tracy Gantz
