Four horses trained by Bob Baffert—National Treasure , Arabian Lion , Faiza, and Havnameltdown—are set to fly to Pimlico Race Course May 13 after each worked May 12 at Santa Anita Park.
Baffert will be seeking a record eighth win in the May 20 Preakness Stakes (G1) with National Treasure, who finished fourth in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) in his most recent start for then-trainer Tim Yakteen. Owners SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan moved him into Yakteen's barn for a period this spring in an attempt to qualify the colt for the May 6 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs. He did not garner enough points to seem likely to make the race and was returned to Baffert.
Baffert and his trainees remain ineligible to compete at Churchill Downs Inc. tracks through early July after the track operator sanctioned him for equine medication positives, most notably involving Medina Spirit in the 2021 Kentucky Derby. The latter was disqualified from victory by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, a ruling under appeal.
Baffert will be seeking a record eighth win in the Preakness with National Treasure, a grade 1-placed Quality Road colt who went a half-mile Friday in :47 2/5. Baffert's most recent victory in the second jewel of the Triple Crown came in 2018 with Justify , who would sweep that year's Triple Crown.
Arabian Lion was also under consideration for the Preakness, but Baffert said that as of Friday the plan was to run him in the $100,000 Sir Barton Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles. Arabian Lion's work Friday came while hooking company with a horse trained by Mark Glatt. He was officially credited with a six-furlong move in 1:12 4/5.
Arabian Lion has made two starts as a 3-year-old. The Justify colt was fourth in the Feb. 4 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) and was most recently beaten just a half-length by likely Preakness starter First Mission in the April 15 Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland.
"Coming out of the turn in the Lexington it looked like he was going to be the winner," Baffert said of Arabian Lion. "We're going to give him one more chance going two turns. After this we'll know more about him."
Santa Anita Oaks (G2) winner Faiza is ticketed to the May 19 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) going 1 1/8 miles. The Girvin filly, who has never been beaten in five starts, worked five furlongs in 1:00 2/5.
"She's just a good horse that always does what she needs to do," said her Hall of Fame trainer.
Baffert has won the Black-Eyed Susan three times with the last being in 2013 with Fiftyshadesofhay.
Havnameltdown will be coming off a nearly three-month layoff when he goes in the May 20 Chick Lang Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds going six furlongs. He has not started since shipping to Riyadh where he ran second in the Feb. 25 Saudi Derby (G3).
On Friday, Havnameltdown worked five furlongs in a bullet :59 3/5 seconds. Six days earlier the Uncaptured colt blitzed four furlongs in a bullet :45 3/5.
"He worked nice. He went fast last time," Baffert noted.
Prior to his trip to Saudi Arabia, Havnameltdown won a pair of stakes going seven furlongs: the Jan. 29 San Vicente Stakes (G2) and the Bob Hope Stakes (G3) at Del Mar in the fall.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
