The favorites for both Saturday\u2019s Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes for 2-year-olds, Desert Gate, and G2 Oak Leaf Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, Explora, will both try something Saturday they\u2019ve yet to do for trainer Bob Baffert\u2014race around two turns.<\/p>\n
Desert Gate is installed at 3-2 on the morning line for the 1 1\/16-mile American Pharoah at Santa Anita Park, which serves as a \u201cWin and You\u2019re In\u201d for the $2 million Breeders\u2019 Cup Juvenile on Oct. 31 at Del Mar. He\u2019ll be joined in the lineup by stablemates Kristofferson (9-5) and Balboa (8-1), also making their two-turn debuts for Baffert; and Plutarch (10-1), who returns to dirt after a runner-up effort in the G3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf going a mile.<\/p>\n
In the 1 1\/16-mile Oak Leaf, an automatic qualifier for the Breeders\u2019 Cup Juvenile Fillies, Explora is 4-5 on the morning line. She\u2019ll be joined in the field by stablemate Himika, the 3-1 second choice who also stretches out in distance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s always a big test for all of them,\u201d Baffert said of horses going from a sprint to a route. \u201cYou never know until they do it. When you send them two turns, that\u2019s when they kind of separate themselves. But they are all doing well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Desert Gate, by Omaha Beach out of the Curlin mare Theogony, was purchased for $250,000 at auction earlier this year by owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. He was a debut winner going five furlongs at Santa Anita in June and then came back to air by 8 \u00be lengths in the GIII Best Pal at Del Mar in August.<\/p>\n
In the GI Del Mar Futurity going seven furlongs Sept. 7, Desert Gate broke poorly but then ran on determinedly along the inside to be beaten just one length by highly regarded prospect Brant.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe ran really well,\u201d Baffert said Desert Gate. \u201cHe sort of stumbled leaving there and missed the break a little bit. But he sat behind the speed and then kept coming. Brant was pretty strong that day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Desert Gate will break from the rail under Juan Hernandez, who has been aboard for all three previous starts.<\/p>\n
Advertisement<\/p>\n
Kristofferson exits an eye-catching debut win going six furlongs on Aug. 31 at Del Mar that earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest in the field. A $1.15 million auction buy as a yearling, he is by Nyquist out of the Quality Road mare Impasse.<\/p>\n
\u201cKristofferson ran a really big race,\u201d Baffert said. \u201cHe\u2019s a big horse and two turns will not be a problem. I was actually really surprised he won first out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kristofferson will be ridden by Mike Smith after having Hernandez aboard for his debut.<\/p>\n
Plutarch is by Into Mischief out of Stellar Wind, the 2015 champion 3-year-old filly. He is owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael B. Tabor.<\/p>\n
After finishing second in his debut at a mile on dirt Aug. 23 at Del Mar, Plutarch was switched to grass for a try in the G3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf going a mile on Sept. 7. He was last after the opening half mile but rallied to be second beaten 1 \u00bd lengths by winner Hey Nay Nay.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to keep him at two turns,\u201d Baffert said of moving Plutarch to the turf last out. \u201cI was debating whether to run him again on the turf but I want to give him a chance. He\u2019s bred to be any kind and has really progressed after that race.\u201d<\/p>\n
Plutarch will be ridden by Kazushi Kimura for the first time.<\/p>\n
Balboa, an $875,000 colt by Not This Time out of the War Front mare Tap of War, pressed pacesetter Brant in the Del Mar Futurity before fading to fifth. Previously, Balboa romped by 7 \u00be lengths when graduating going six furlongs on Aug. 10 at Del Mar.<\/p>\n
In the American Pharoah, Balboa will race without blinkers for the first time.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was up on the pace. He doesn\u2019t need to be close to the pace,\u201d Baffert said of Balboa\u2019s Futurity try. \u201cHe got a little rank and got tired. That\u2019s why I\u2019m taking the blinkers off.\u201d<\/p>\n
Balboa will be ridden by Umberto Rispoli for the first time.<\/p>\n
The American Pharoah goes as the third race at 2:03 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Desert Gate, Juan Hernandez (3-2); Intrepido, Hector Berrios (6-1); Plutarch, Kazushi Kimura (10-1); Civil Liberty, Antonio Fresu (5-1); Balboa, Umberto Rispoli (5-1); Kristofferson, Mike Smith (9-5).<\/p>\n
In the Oak Leaf, program favorite Explora exits a runner-up finish in the G1 Del Mar Debutante going seven furlongs Sept. 6. She set the pace that day under Juan Hernandez before being overhauled late by stablemate Bottle of Rouge to lose by one length.<\/p>\n
A $350,000 auction buy earlier this year, Explora is by Blame out of the Bernardini mare Collections Choice. She\u2019ll also race without blinkers for the first time Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve taken the blinkers off hoping she\u2019ll relax a little bit. She got a little rank (in the Debutante),\u201d Baffert said.<\/p>\n
Prior to the Debutante, Explora won her debut by 4 \u00be lengths going 5 \u00bd furlongs at Del Mar.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve always been very high on her. Her maiden race was outstanding,\u201d Baffert said.<\/p>\n
In the Debutante, Himika broke in and was bumped early, then moved up to second before weakening to fourth beaten 9 \u00bc lengths.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s a free-running filly\u2014a lot of speed,\u201d Baffert said.<\/p>\n
The Oak Leaf goes as the ninth race with post time set for 5:08 p.m. The field in post position order: Banzai Betty, Umberto Rispoli (10-1); La Ville Lumiere, Kazushi Kimura (12-1); La Wally, Antonio Fresu (4-1); Himika, Mike Smith (3-1); Heaven\u2019s Bolt, Hector Berrios (5-1); Explora, Juan Hernandez (4-5).<\/p>\n
This story was originally reported by Paulick Report<\/a> on Oct 2, 2025, where it first appeared in the News<\/a> section. Add Paulick Report as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The favorites for both Saturday\u2019s Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes for 2-year-olds, Desert Gate, and G2 Oak Leaf…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":470011,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4107],"tags":[156524,156526,34542,42254,156522,112928,156525,42257,156523,1071,79,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-470010","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-racing","8":"tag-american-pharoah","9":"tag-balboa","10":"tag-bob-baffert","11":"tag-del-mar","12":"tag-explora","13":"tag-juan-hernandez","14":"tag-kristofferson","15":"tag-mike-smith","16":"tag-plutarch","17":"tag-racing","18":"tag-sports","19":"tag-uk","20":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115307989176179630","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470010","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=470010"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470010\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/470011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=470010"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=470010"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=470010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}