Plutarch Gives Bob Baffert His 14th Robert B. Lewis

The Coolmore colt earned key points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby with a victory at Santa Anita Park

Plutarch continues to make steady progress under Baffert’s guidance / Benoit Photo

ARCADIA, California (From a special correspondent).— Patience, groundwork, and conviction. That was the path Bob Baffert chose for Plutarch, a well-bred colt who needed time to mature and who took a decisive step toward the elite this Saturday by capturing the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3), contested over one mile on the dirt at Santa Anita Park.

The result not only confirmed the potential of the son of Into Mischief, but also validated an unusual decision by the legendary trainer: giving him his initial starts on the turf, simply “to let him run and learn,” when he wasn’t yet ready for the rigors of the dirt. That plan, which seemed conservative for a potential Triple Crown contender, ultimately became the foundation for an evolution that is now beginning to bear fruit.

Baffert entered three runners in a race he dominates like no other—he has won it 14 times, including the last eight editions—and, curiously, the least expected of them took home the top prize. The favorite, Desert Gate (Omaha Beach), broke poorly from the rail and was immediately out of contention.

“He’s a very lead-dependent horse. Once he missed the break, I knew he had no chance,” Baffert explained.

In contrast, Plutarch, who had never been on the lead before, broke alertly under Florent Geroux and quickly found himself in the mix. While Intrepido set the opening fraction in :23.49, it was Plutarch who took control of the proceedings, clocking the half-mile in :47.65 and showing surprising authority.

“He broke very sharp and put me in an ideal position,” said Geroux. “When I asked him in the stretch, he responded immediately.”

The finish was a head-to-head duel. Intrepido (Maximus Mischief), winner of the American Pharoah Stakes (G1), never let the pacesetter get away and attacked boldly while rounding the far turn. But Plutarch refused to yield. He dug in with grit, straightened away in the lane, and drew off in the final strides to win by 3/4 of a length, stopping the clock in 1:37.02. It was only then that he secured his widest margin over his rival.

Further back, Secured Freedom (Practical Joke) made up ground after a poor start to finish third, edging out Desert Gate by a nose, while Baffert’s other trainee, Cherokee Nation (Magnitude), completed the frame.

The victory had an immediate impact on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Plutarch earned 20 points, adding to the 3 previously obtained in the American Pharoah, thrusting himself directly into the conversation for the first Saturday in May.

Baffert did not hide his satisfaction: “We’ve invested a lot of time in this horse. He was very immature. He reminds me a bit of Authentic (Into Mischief), who was also slow to develop but improves week by week. He has a great mind and is going to figure it all out.”

The bay needed five attempts to break his maiden last year, though he always showed talent: finishing second in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf, third in the American Pharoah, and third in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes. He finally broke through in November, winning a turf maiden by 4 1/2 lengths in a performance that began to shift the perception of his future.

For this engagement, Baffert once again turned to Geroux, with whom he maintains a successful partnership.

“I called him and told him to come out, that I had a very good colt for him,” the trainer recounted.

The jockey shared the enthusiasm: “When I came, I honestly expected to find a Derby horse. Bob is an extraordinary trainer, and riding for him is a huge honor.”

Bred in Kentucky, Plutarch is a son of champion Stellar Wind (Curlin), winner of the Eclipse Award and acquired by Coolmore interests for $6 million as a broodmare. That pedigree is now starting to translate to the track.

With the Robert B. Lewis in the bag and a clear upward trajectory, Plutarch has shifted from an intriguing prospect to a work in progress turned reality. The road to the Kentucky Derby is long, but the colt has already shown he possesses something that can’t be trained: the heart to fight when the race gets serious.