Coach Tim Yakteen saddled 4 3-year-olds within the $402,000 San Felipe Stakes March 4 at Santa Anita Park , three of them new transfers from the Bob Baffert barn, and received with Sensible Transfer, the horse Yakteen has skilled for the colt’s complete profession.
“We’ve been operating towards Baffert all summer season,” stated Pierre Jean Amestoy Jr., who co-owns the horse together with his spouse, Leslie, and Roger Beasley.
Sensible Transfer has received and misplaced to Baffert trainees all through his profession. The colt completed his 2-year-old season final 12 months by successful the Dec. 17 Los Alamitos Futurity over Baffert trainees Carmel Highway and Fort Bragg. He additionally completed third within the Nov. 20 Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar to Baffert trainees Havnameltdown and Newgate.
Fort Bragg is one among 4 horses previously skilled by Baffert and now in Yakteen’s barn that had been entered within the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe. Yakteen additionally entered Hejazi, Mr Fisk, and Nationwide Treasure. The latter was the 3-1 morning-line favourite however needed to be scratched due to a bruise on his proper entrance foot.
Bettors subsequently made Richard Mandella-trained Geaux Rocket Experience, who received his profession debut by 5 3/4 lengths in his earlier begin, a slender 2.70-1 favourite over John Shirreffs-trained Skinner. Hejazi was the third alternative, with Sensible Transfer fourth within the wagering at 4.20-1.
Jockey Mike Smithh bought Hejazi away from the gate in second and so they rapidly went to the lead, with Geaux Rocket Experience a size again in second. Sensible Transfer raced in third inside, with jockey Ramon Vazquez taking part in a ready sport to see how finest to get by means of.
“Ramon is aware of the horse,” Amestoy stated. “He informed us after the race, ‘I used to be simply ready. I had all of the horse I wanted. In the event that they had been going to exit, I used to be going to go in. In the event that they we going to go in, I used to be going to go round. However after they went out, that opened it up for me.’ ”
Sensible Transfer moved within a drifting-out Hejazi nearing the quarter pole, took command, and drew off to attain by 2 1/2 lengths.
“This horse retains getting higher and higher daily,” Vazquez stated. “He can go inside or exterior. He’s snug wherever. He lets me do my job, and he does the remaining.”
Geaux Rocket Experience got here again on to get second, 1 1/4 lengths away from present finisher Skinner. Skinner, final for the primary half-mile, closed huge to hit the board, a half-length forward of fourth-place Hejazi. Sensible Transfer accomplished the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.01.
“He’s been a extremely wholesome horse — all the pieces fell into place,” Yakteen stated. “The one problem we had alongside the way in which was not with the ability to get his final work in. He has developed rather well from a 2-year-old to a 3-year-old. He’s a gifted, gifted particular person.”
The Amestoys are primarily Quarter-Horse house owners, and Leslie is a former Thoroughbred coach. They chose Kentucky-bred Sensible Transfer themselves, shopping for him for $230,000 on the 2022 Ocala Breeders’ Gross sales Firm’s Spring Sale of 2-Yr-Olds in Coaching. Coach Chad Brown and Head of Plains Companions bred Sensible Transfer, a son of Sensible Joke out of Ack Naughty, by Afleet Alex.
When it got here time to discover a Thoroughbred coach, the Amestoys requested recommendation from their good friend Mike Abraham.
“I used to be speaking to Mike about discovering a coach who’s a great coach however doesn’t have 150 horses,” Amestoy stated.
Abraham knew Jaime Gomez, a significant Quarter-Horse coach based mostly at Los Alamitos Race Course, and Gomez really useful Yakteen.
The Amestoys have raced a horse within the All-American Futurity thrice and have received different prestigious Quarter-Horse races, such because the Rainbow Futurity. They’re wanting ahead to presumably having a horse within the Could 6 Kentucky Derby Offered by Woodford Reserve.
“For us, that is the most important deal proper now,” Amestoy stated.
The San Felipe victory is price 50 qualifying factors to the Kentucky Derby, and Sensible Transfer had already earned 10 factors within the Los Alamitos Futurity. His 60 complete factors places him behind solely Forte, the Fountain of Youth Stakes winner, who now has 90 factors on the Highway to the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard.
Yakteen stated he would most likely run Sensible Transfer yet one more time earlier than the Derby.
“I don’t suppose this shall be our last cease,” Yakteen stated. “I believe we’ll have yet one more cease. Let’s simply depart the canvas clean, and I’ll colour it in a bit of bit later.”
As for Nationwide Treasure, Yakteen stated that the foot bruise is minor and was not prone to take that colt off the Triple Crown path.
“We had a bruised foot this morning, that inside quarter,” Yakteen stated. “We’ve had numerous rain [in California]. Sadly, he got here up with a bruise. We’ll be completely advantageous. He was a lot better this afternoon after with the ability to [soak in a tub] his foot.”
