Potente dominated the San Felipe Stakes and secured valuable points toward the Kentucky Derby
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With a powerful closing kick, the son of Into Mischief shone at Santa Anita Park, while the favorite Brant fell flat, managing only a disappointing fifth-place finish
ARCADIA, California (Special for Turf Diario).– In a race defined by an intense pace and a suspenseful finish, Potente took the biggest leap of his young career by winning the San Felipe Stakes (G2) on March 7 at Santa Anita Park, securing his first graded stakes victory.
Guided patiently by Juan Hernandez, the Bob Baffert trainee broke well but was quickly restrained to settle behind the leaders. While the favorite Brant (Gun Runner) set demanding fractions of 22s49/100, 46s62/100, and 1m10s42/100 under pressure from So Happy (Runhappy), Potente traveled comfortably, biding his time to strike.
That moment arrived in the homestretch. Moving wide toward the outside of the track, the son of Into Mischief began to make up ground with a powerful stride. In the final strides, he managed to put his head in front to defeat the surprising Robusta (Accelerate), who nearly pulled off a massive upset at 67-1 odds.
So Happy completed the podium, while Secured Freedom (Practical Joke) finished fourth. The heavy favorite Brant, who led until the final turn in his first start since the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), ran out of gas in the closing stages and had to settle for fifth.
Road to the Kentucky Derby
The race awarded qualifying points on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale to the top five finishers.
1st: Potente (50 pts)
2nd: Robusta (25 pts)
3rd: So Happy (15 pts)
4th: Secured Freedom (10 pts)
5th: Brant (5 pts)
“I knew the pace would be strong,” Baffert explained. “I think Brant needed this race and got tired. On the other hand, Potente is bred for longer distances and was ready. We’ll move forward with him, and he’ll have one more start before the Derby.”
Jockey Juan Hernandez echoed the sentiment regarding the colt's ceiling: “He has so much talent. He’s big, strong, and still learning. When we hit the stretch, it took him a moment to get going because he’s a big horse, but once he geared up, he showed how good he is.”
Pedigree and Background
Purchased by Speedway Stables for $2.4 million at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, Potente was bred in Kentucky by Pam and Martin Wygod. He is out of Sweet Sting (Awesome Again) and is a grandson of the legendary turf champion Perfect Sting (Red Ransom), winner of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) in record time.
With only two starts and two victories, Potente has already amassed $162,000 in earnings. Following this breakthrough in the San Felipe, he emerges as a top-tier contender on the path to Churchill Downs.
