Trainer Bob Baffert came into Saturday's hot-looking maiden at Santa Anita with a trio of high-profile chances on paper, but that number was reduced to a single runner with the program scratches of the rail-drawn Duntov, a $575,000 son of Maxfield, and Crude Velocity (Beau Liam), himself a $250,000 breeze-up purchase. But the one that remained, Speedway Stables' POTENTE (c, 3, Into Mischief–Sweet Sting, by Awesome Again), shouldered the load, outgaming the more experienced Captain Shreve (Runhappy) by a length.
Away very smartly from an outside draw, the $2.4-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate carved out the early fractions, with his chief market rival Captain Shreve–a strong-figure second on debut–close in tow. Clinging to a narrow advantage as they raced by the quarter pole in :45.62, Potente was never truly able to dispose of the race-long challenge from Captain Shreve, but came home nicely to take it with a bit to spare.
Potente is out of a stakes-placed daughter of champion Perfect Sting (Red Ransom), who was acquired by the Wygods for $310,000 in foal to Cairo Prince at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale. After selling the mare's weanling daughter of Not This Time for $250,000, the couple parted with Sweet Sting at Keeneland November in 2024, accepting a final bid of $385,000 in foal to Into Mischief. The aforementioned Not This Time filly fetched $430,000 at Keeneland September last fall, months after Sweet Sting produced a filly. Sweet Sting is due to Muth for 2026.
6th-Santa Anita, $70,000, Msw, 1-31, 3yo, 6f, 1:10.65, ft, 3/4 length.
POTENTE (c, 3, Into Mischief–Sweet Sting {SP}, by Awesome Again) Sales history: $2,400,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $42,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Speedway Stables LLC; B-Pam & Martin Wygod (KY); T-Bob Baffert.
The $2.4 million yearling purchase 🔥 #7 POTENTE ($3.20) broke his maiden in R6 at @SantaAnitaPark. @kazushi0096 rode the three-year-old Into Mischief (@SpendthriftFarm) colt for trainer Bob Baffert. pic.twitter.com/8gBEZwZfNK
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 31, 2026
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