With an eye on the $1 million Travers Stakes (G1), Reincarnate bolstered his chances of competing in the most hotly-contested race of the summer with a dazzling gate-to-wire victory July 8 in the $125,000 Los Alamitos Derby.
Making his first start since a 13th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby (G1), the Bob Baffert trainee broke on top and seized the early advantage, maintaining a clear lead through fractions of :23.23, :47.75, and 1:11.99. Santa Anita Derby (G1) third Skinner gave chase but could make no headway down the lane as Reincarnate cruised to the wire 2 1/2 lengths in front.
The 3-year-old son of Good Magic stopped the timer in 1:48.72 for the 1 1/8 miles over a fast Los Alamitos Race Course main track. Reincarnate returned $4 as the post-time favorite.
Skinner and Prince Abu Dhabi completed the trifecta.
“He broke really, really sharp. He was comfortable all the way,” said jockey Juan Hernandez of Reincarnate. “When the company came around the three-eighths pole, I asked him and he picked it up really well. In the stretch, he switched leads and he opened up again. (Trainer) Bob (Baffert) had him ready today.”
Owned by the dynamic partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan, Reincarnate recorded his second stakes win Saturday, having captured Santa Anita Park‘s Sham Stakes (G3) in January.
“We used this race as a prep with West Coast (in 2017) for the Travers and we’d like to do the same with this colt with a race like that,” Baffert said. “This race always comes up tough and it was a big win for the team.”
