Baffert Trainee Buetane Likely San Vicente Favorite

Since Buetane in only his second lifetime start finished second in the 2025 Hopeful Stakes (G1) to 2-year-old champion male finalist Ted Noffey, he should go off as the heavy favorite in the Jan. 10 San Vicente Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park. His odds just won't be nearly as short as any line on whether undefeated Ted Noffey will win the Eclipse. Even so, Buetane looks like the logical choice in the 7-furlong stakes. Trained by Bob Baffert, he faces a maiden winner from his own barn, a stakes-placed runner and a maiden winner trained by Doug O'Neill, and a maiden winner trained by Mark Glatt. Buetane, a $1.15 million Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase, began his career with a sharp 3 1/2-length victory at Del Mar last August under jockey Juan Hernandez. The Kentucky-bred son of Tiz the Law then shipped to Saratoga Race Course for the Hopeful, earning grade 1-placed status with his second to Ted Noffey, albeit by 8 1/2 lengths. Flavien Prat rode Buetane that day, but Hernandez returns for the San Vicente. Hernandez also rode Baffert's other San Vicente entry, Greenwich Village, in his debut, a half-length win in maiden company Dec. 6 at Los Alamitos Race Course. Hector Berrios takes over on the Kentucky-bred son of Quality Road for the San Vicente. While the San Vicente offers no qualifying points to the Kentucky Derby (G1), Nyquist, an O'Neill trainee and now a top sire, in 2016 won the San Vicente and the Kentucky Derby. Silver Charm, trained by Baffert and in the Hall of Fame, also won the two races in 1997. Baffert has taken the last three runnings of the San Vicente—with Barnes, Muth, and Havnameltdown—while Hernandez has won the last four—on Baffert's three and on Forbidden Kingdom for trainer Richard Mandella. Baffert has a total of 14 San Vicente victories. Thirsty Rebel, a California-bred son of Stay Thirsty, came within a nose of becoming a stakes winner in the I'm Smokin Stakes for California-bred or -sired runners. One of the two O'Neill runners, Thirsty Rebel has the most experience of the field, with two wins and that second in five starts. In his last effort, he scored by 6 lengths in state-bred allowance optional claiming company at 6 furlongs. O'Neill, going for his third San Vicente, also brings Acknowledgemeplz. That Florida-bred son of Bucchero has stared three times, with a second, a win, and a fourth. The fourth came in the 1 1/16-mile Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), won by Baffert-trained Litmus Test. Glatt's runner is So Happy, a Kentucky-bred son of Runhappy who gets the services of Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith. Smith also piloted So Happy in his only previous start, a 6 1/2-furlong maiden race at Del Mar Nov. 22. So Happy took that by three-quarters of a length.