American Anthem, turned back after a pair of up-the-track finishes in two-turn graded stakes, recaptured his early form and scored a convincing victory in the seven-furlong GIII Lazaro Barrera S. at Santa Anita.
Graduating on debut Dec. 3 at Del Mar, the $435,000 OBS March buy hinted at Triple Crown ability when finishing a narrow second to multiple Grade I winner Gormley (Malibu Moon) in the one-mile GIII Sham S. here Jan. 7. After finishing 10th of 11 in the GII Rebel S. and 12th of 13 in the GI Santa Anita Derby, however, the Bob Baffert trainee was taken off the Derby Trail and cut back to this elongated sprint.
Coming in sporting a bullet five-furlong move in :59 1/5 (1/11) May 8, the bay was backed down to odds-on and broke well from his rail draw. Taken back by Mike Smith to travel in fourth behind a :21.85 quarter, American Anthem cruised up three-wide to challenge for the lead into a :44.33 half and took charge at the top of the lane. Kimbear, also turning back out of the Santa Anita Derby, loomed a threat just outside the furlong grounds, but the favorite had plenty left, and turned back that foe en route to his first stakes score.
“He was just really focused today,” Smith said. “He jumped well and I eased him back. He eased back so nicely, yet he was in the bridle at all times really. I heard the announcer say 'And [Kimbear] is flying to catch him on the outside!' It made me panic and I probably didn't need to ride him quite as hard as I did. He needed to go ahead and run through the wire, so it was a good experience for him.”
Jimmy Barnes, assistant to Baffert, added, “I don't know if distance is an issue. At Oaklawn, we lost a shoe and in the Santa Anita Derby, it was more the way the race set up, going so fast early. I don't think stretching him out is out of the question, but those are Bob's decisions and China Horse Club's. I just take care of the horse and make sure he's healthy for each race. My only question was being in the one hole. I knew we'd have to get the trip and Mike gave him the trip.”
Pedigree Notes:
American Anthem is the fourth stakes winner for sophomore sire Bodemeister (by Empire Maker), who is also represented by GI Kentucky Derby hero Always Dreaming. His dam was purchased for $1.1 million as a Keeneland September yearling in 2005 and was a $550,000 pickup for WinStar at the 2008 Keeneland November sale. She is a half-sister to Banshee Breeze (Unbridled), a five-time Grade I victress and 1998's champion 3-year-old filly. She is also kin to Unbridled Wind (Unbridled), the SW second dam of GSW Tiz Windy (Tiznow) and Kentucky Derby starter and 'TDN Rising Star' Patch (Union Rags). American Anthem's third dam is a half to French G1SW All At Sea (Riverman) and MGSW Over the Ocean (Super Concorde). Indy's Windy has a juvenile More Than Ready colt who sold for $80,000 as a Fasig-Tipton October yearling. She foaled a filly by Pioneerof the Nile last term and most recently had a Bellamy Road foal aborted.
Saturday, Santa Anita Park
LAZARO BARRERA S.-GIII, $100,000, SA, 5-13, 3yo, 7f, 1:22.02, ft.
1–#@AMERICAN ANTHEM, 120, c, 3, by Bodemeister
1st Dam: Indy's Windy, by A.P. Indy
2nd Dam: Banshee Winds, by Known Fact
3rd Dam: Quack a Doodledoo, by Quack
($180,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP; $435,000 2yo '16 OBSMAR).
O-China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners LLC, SF Racing LLC
et al.; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Mike E.
Smith. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 5-2-1-0, $114,545. *Fourth
SW for sophomore sire (by Empire Maker). Werk Nick Rating:
A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”winstar-bred”][bullet ad=”selectsales-shell”][bullet ad=”hoppel-trainedandsold”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″][bullet ad=”winstar-eligible-youre-a-winner”]2–Kimbear, 120, c, 3, Temple City–Sky Dreamer, by Sky Mesa.
($30,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-R. Albert, L. Giordano, J. Kruljac, F.
& K. Lewkowitz; B-John C. Oxley (KY); T-J. Eric Kruljac.
$20,000.[bullet ad=”darbydan-shell”]3–Aristocratic, 122, c, 3, Malibu Moon–Ask Me When, by
Speightstown. ($150,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP; $475,000 2yo '16
OBSMAR). O-Kaleem Shah, Inc.; B-Castleton Lyons & Kilboy
Estate (KY); T-Simon Callaghan. $12,000.[bullet ad=”paramount-congratulations”][bullet ad=”mckathan-brothers-sales-and-training-graduate”]Margins: 1 3/4, 4 3/4, 11 1/4. Odds: 0.80, 2.40, 3.20.
Also Ran: Taxman's Quest, Sutton Impact. Scratched: Bobby Abu Dhabi. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
