Plutarch wins Robert Lewis Stakes to give Baffert 8th straight victory in the race for 3-year-olds

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ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — Plutarch defeated Intrepido by three-quarters of a length in the Robert Lewis Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita, giving Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert his eighth straight win in the race for 3-year-olds and 14th overall.

Ridden by Florent Geroux, Plutarch ran one mile in 1:37.02 for his first stakes victory and first win on dirt. He paid $10.20 to win.

“I felt he broke very alertly for me and put me in a great spot,” Geroux said. ”When I asked him to move along in the lane, he responded really well. But he waited for the horse on the inside a little bit. As soon as he came by me, my horse gave me another gear.”

Intrepido was second and Secured Freedom was third.

Baffert said Plutarch reminds him of Authentic, who won the 2020 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic.

"He keeps getting better every week,” Baffert said. “I don’t think distance will be a problem with him. This is very exciting. He’s legit.”

Plutarch moved into a tie with Intrepido for third on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 23 qualifying points. It determines the 20-horse field for the May 2 race.

Desert Gate, the 6-5 favorite also trained by Baffert, was fourth. Cherokee Nation, Baffert's third entry, finished fifth.

"Desert Gate missed the break and I knew the one-hole would hurt us,” Baffert said. “I knew we were in trouble then because he is so one-dimensional.”

Plutarch has two wins in six career starts and over $190,000 in earnings. Two of his starts have been on turf, including his first career victory on Nov. 30 at Del Mar.

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AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing