The Robert Lewis Stakes enticed five at Santa Anita on Saturday and the winner will take that needed step toward the Kentucky Derby. He will also earn 10 qualifying points toward that goal.
Officially called the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, this mile and a sixteenth event is named for Bob Baffert’s prominent now deceased owner who was a huge proponent of the game. Lewis became one of the biggest Anheuser-Busch beer distributors in the country and he raced Kentucky Derby winners Silver Charm and Charismatic.
Granted, this is not the most potent Robert Lewis Stakes in history and the winner Saturday will have a long way to go to match Robert Lewis Stakes winners like T. V. Lark, Sham, Rumbo, Ferdinand, Dortmund and I’ll Have Another.
To say that Doug O’Neill surrounds the Robert Lewis Stakes is an understatement as he will saddle three of the five starters.
Irap is one those three starters. Although this runner has yet to win a race, he showed his ability by running second to Mastery in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity. The son of Tiznow raced New Year’s Eve and may have just disliked the sloppy going. He has been put through his motions aiming for the Robert Lewis Stakes as O’Neill has worked him four times since the 2016 finale.
Right next door to Irap comes Dangerfield. The truth of the matter is, like the comedian, he never has gotten respect. The one for six performer didn’t want any part of sprinting in his first three races but stretched out successfully and earned his diploma winning the $55,000 Oak Tree Juvenile. O’Neill thought enough of him to try the opulent Delta Jackpot, but he had to settle for third in that race. In his last race, Dangerfield was just left with too much work to do and finished a decent third.
The last of the O’Neill prospects Term of Art is the only Graded winner in this field. He broke his maiden at Santa Anita, only beat two to the wire in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile but rebounded from that effort in his next start. He won the Cecil B. DeMille at Del Mar in November with a 74 Beyer Speed Figure.
The runners that bookend the field, Royal Mo from the rail, and Sheer Flattery from the outside post, both just broke their maidens. Royal Mo took them all the way on the lead at Del Mar in November and Sheer Flattery was a gutsy winner by a nose in his 2016 final race.
Approaching this race from a pedigree standpoint, Irap is an interesting player. His sire Tiznow was a two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic winner. His dam dropped superior sprinter Speightstown, who was an Eclipse Award winner and earned over $1.2 million.
Sheer Flattery has class if one goes deep in the pedigree. There the researcher will find the over $600,000 earner Alke.
When the gates spring open for the Robert Lewis Stakes, it will all be about how the race sets up. What happens early in the race will dictate the running styles and eventually the winner.
A glimpse at the morning line shows how closely matched these runners are right now. Sheer Flattery has been tabbed the 2-1 favorite and Royal Mo is the second choice at 5-2. Irap is 3-1, Dangerfield is 7-2 and Term of Art is 9-2.
With a limited amount of speed in the Robert Lewis Stakes, look for Royal Mo to be sent along by Victor Espinoza. Dangerfield could show a bit of zip if he is pushed along but expect Sheer Fantasy to get a very good trip. The Jerry Hollendorfer runner was only a length off a :45 pace in his second career race and he was troubled in his December debut when off slowly. Sheer Flattery gets the services of jockey Mike Smith and expect the rider to seize this opportunity.
Smith can track the speed from this outside slot. He figures to be within striking distance of the lead at all times before he asks his horse for his best as they approach the stretch. Sheer Flattery is one of only two racers in the field proven at this distance and he was involved in a hotter pace in his route victory.
At the wire, Smith and Sheer Flattery figure to nail the speed.
