Forbidden Kingdom tries to do speed in San Felipe

More than one class test is waiting for some participants in the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita . Park. The 1/16-mile race will also measure the endurance of three intense sprinters—Beautiful art , Doppelganger and Forbidden Kingdom .

Despite their lack of route experience, likely to be among the favorites are Forbidden Kingdom and Doppelganger, with a 1-4 draw in a seven-game draw at the San Vicente Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita . Park January 29. Forbidden Kingdom won that race on a front-run, while the Doppelganger ran steadily to test 2 3/4 of the length behind the winner, 3/4 of the way away from the second. long.

Runner-up of the race, Pinehurst won the Al Rajhi Bank Saudi Derby (G3) last week in Saudi Arabia.

Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, eight-time San Felipe Award winner, including the past two years with Real and Life is good Doppelganger ship (Into Mischief ), as he does Armagnac (Quality Sugar ), a front-runner maiden winner entered San Felipe. Two Baffert entries share the same owners — a partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan, Golconda Stable and Siena Farm.

Doppelgänger and Armagnac went to school this morning at G2 San Filipe on Saturday ️ @BobBaffert @santaanitapark pic.twitter.com/gwmv7pR64y

– Tom Ryan. (@TomRyanKY) March 2, 2022

Both horses were ineligible Saturday for qualifying points on the Road to Kentucky Derby run by Churchill Downs Inc. suspended Baffert until mid-2023 for drug violations. San Felipe, by contrast, offers qualifying scores on a 50-20-10-5 basis for the top four finishers.

Despite winning the bet, Forbidden Kingdom has yet to earn a point on the Road to Kentucky Derby with San Vicente not being part of the series. His Hall of Fame coach, Richard Mandella, originally raced him in short races.

He won his debut by 5 1/2 last summer at Del Mar. He took the lead after the opening quarter in all four of his races.

“He’s probably the speed,” Mandella admitted. “He’s naturally fast. We just hope he can go that far.”

Mandella won the 1994 San Felipe Award for Soul of the Matter and the 1995 version for the song Afternoon Deelites.

Forbidden Kingdom’s pedigree is a mixture of endurance and speed. King, American pharoah won Three Crowns in 2015 for Baffert, while thrashing his mare Five Star Day Only Louise , scoring her two wins at five and six feathers as a juvenile. Her top achievement is winning the 2010 Debutante Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.

Juan Hernandez is back in the irons in Forbidden Kingdom, while Flavien Prat is back on board the Doppelganger, with whom he also went to a 3 1/2 long debut score at Los Alamitos . Racecourse December 11th.

Coach Doug O’Neill, who won the 2007 San Felipe Championship with Cobalt blue start Calumet Farm’s Jack is happy The runner didn’t blink after a poor test of equipment while placing fifth in the Robert B. Lewis (G3) race at Santa Anita on February 6, and the runner on the grass Read worse than Sanchez for Reddam Racing owners.

The other participant is Kretz Racing’s Cabo Spirit second, defeated 15 lengths by Messier in Lewis.