McKinzie Street hopes for American Pharoah breakthrough; Tenma adds blinkers in Oak Leaf

Oct 04, 2024 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

McKinzie Street wins at Del Mar

McKinzie Street wins at Del Mar (Photo by Benoit Photography)

On an action-packed Saturday of preps, the Road to the Kentucky Derby and the Road to the Kentucky Oaks continue at Santa Anita with the $300,000 American Pharoah (G1) and $200,000 Oak Leaf (G2), respectively.

Each scoring race is worth points on the 10-5-3-2-1 scale to the top five finishers. Moreover, the American Pharoah is a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), and the Oak Leaf winner earns a free ticket to the Juvenile Fillies (G1).

The American Pharoah is carded as the ninth race at 8 p.m., while the Oak Leaf is slated earlier as the third race at 5 p.m. (all times ET).

Bob Baffert has won the American Pharoah 12 times, beginning long before the race was renamed in honor of his 2015 Triple Crown champion, and he’s also trained a dozen winners of the Oak Leaf. Those stats could be padded on Saturday, since Baffert has quantity and quality going in both stakes.

American Pharoah (G1)

Baffert’s Del Mar Futurity (G1) hero Gaming is skipping this race, opting to train up to the Breeders’ Cup. But the respective second, third, and fourth from the Futurity — McKinzie Street, Citizen Bull, and Getaway Car — are set to square off in the 1 1/16-mile American Pharoah.

McKinzie Street, trained by Baffert’s protege Tim Yakteen, ranks as the 9-5 favorite on the morning line. By hot first-crop sire McKinzie, he wired his debut over Emerald Bay, but didn’t have the cleanest trip when runner-up in the Del Mar Futurity. McKinzie Street hopes for better luck as he breaks from the rail with Kazushi Kimura.

Baffert’s Citizen Bull surprisingly ended up as the Futurity favorite fresh off a debut win. His inexperience might have told as he got no nearer than third. Martin Garcia, who rode him first time out, regains the mount aboard the Into Mischief colt.

Stablemate Getaway Car suffered his first loss in the Futurity when retreating to fourth. The son of Curlin had aired in seemingly effortless fashion in the Best Pal (G3) two back. Perhaps taking the blinkers off, and drawing the outside post 7, can spark a turnaround here. It’s significant that regular rider Juan Hernandez keeps the faith.

Baffert’s third runner, Emerald Bay, prospered on the step up to a mile to break his maiden at Del Mar Aug. 24. Antonio Fresu gets the call on the son of 2016 Kentucky Derby (G1) star Nyquist and Grade 1 vixen Romantic Vision.

James Glenn Jr.’s Mischief River, second best to Getaway Car in the Best Pal, switched surfaces and checked in fourth in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf (G3). That outing nevertheless gave him valuable two-turn experience, and the Into Mischief colt is liable to be more effective reverting to dirt.

Show of Force exits a fifth in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf. It’s uncertain if the Omaha Beach colt would appreciate going back to the main track, since he was fifth to Mischief River in their mutual debut at Los Alamitos before breaking his maiden on the grass.

Start Mo Up, ninth as a 35-1 shot in his Del Mar unveiling, is ambitiously placed in this spot.

Oak Leaf (G2)

Known as the Chandelier in recent years, the 1 1/16-mile feature reverts to its original name for this renewal.

Baffert sends out half of the eight-filly field, including the top three choices on the morning line. Tenma sports a 2-for-2 record after a hard-fought verdict in the Del Mar Debutante (G1). The Nyquist filly adds blinkers as she stretches out to two turns.

Stablemate Nooni, who faded to fifth as the 4-5 favorite in the Debutante, hopes to regain the winning thread. The $1.8 million OBS March Sale topper had wired her first two starts, including the Sorrento (G3) at Del Mar.

But the 2-1 morning-line favorite is Baffert’s least experienced entrant, Non Compliant, who makes her stakes and two-turn debuts. From the first crop of Tiz the Law, she rallied to win at first asking at Del Mar on Aug. 31. Hernandez sticks with Non Compliant, while Nooni picks up Garcia, and Tenma keeps Kimura.

Baffert’s Showers is listed as a 12-1 outsider, although she’s the only one of his quartet with a route race under her belt. The well-bred Ghostzapper filly romped by five lengths going a mile at Del Mar, but the slow time is likely counting against her in the market. Fresu gets the mount.

The O.J. Jauregui-trained Jack’s Magic Girl, a debut winner over a mile on turf, wound up fourth in the Debutante after stumbling at the start. Stretching back out to two turns should help the Good Magic filly.

California-bred stakes heroine In the Air Tonight steps up into open company for trainer Steve Knapp. Most recently runner-up in the restricted Generous Portion S., the daughter of Stay Thirsty figures to appreciate the added distance.

Two maidens round out the field. Rio del Sol, from the Michael McCarthy barn, was third to Showers, while Om N Joy has closed for third in a pair of California-restricted sprint maidens.

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