ARCADIA, CA — Potente announced himself as a serious Kentucky Derby prospect Saturday at Santa Anita Park, rallying late to run down 67-1 longshot Robusta and win the $200,000 San Felipe Stakes (G2).
Making just his second career start after a debut sprint win, the $2.4 million son of Into Mischief surged past Robusta in the final strides to win by a head in the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Derby prep. Trained by Bob Baffert for Speedway Stables, Potente improved to a perfect 2-for-2 under jockey Juan Hernandez.
Robusta finished a strong second, 2 ¾ lengths clear of So Happy in third. Secured Freedom finished fourth while the 4-5 favorite Brant faded to fifth. The top five finishers earned Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale.
Potente settled just behind the early leaders as Brant set the pace through fractions of 22.88, 46.62, and 1:10.42 with So Happy pressing from the outside. Both Potente and Robusta tracked just off the speed while racing wide around the far turn.
Approaching the quarter pole, Brant began to weaken and the race opened up. Robusta took command entering the stretch and looked home free with less than a sixteenth of a mile remaining, but Potente was just getting started. The Baffert trainee lengthened his stride late and surged past Robusta in the final jumps before continuing to pull away once past the wire.
Potente stopped the clock in 1:42.92.
“This horse has a lot of talent,” Hernandez said. “He’s big, he’s strong, and he showed up today. He breaks really, really good and relaxes really well behind the other horses. Last time he ran on the lead, but today, he was traveling really good behind horses, like a professional.”
Hernandez said the colt took a little time to get going turning for home but showed strong acceleration once he hit full stride.
“As we turned for home, I swung out a little bit, and it took me a little while to get going, because, like I said, he’s very big,” Hernandez said. “But man, he’s a really, really nice horse. It’s only 2nd start and he’s improving. I think he’s going to be even better next time.”
Trainer Bob Baffert felt the pace scenario set up perfectly for Potente, who was stretching out around two turns for the first time.
“I knew the pace was going to be hot,” Baffert said. “I think Brant was a work away from this race. He got tired. Potente is bred to go that far. He was ready for that. Kimura told me he thought the horse was a two-turn horse. That horse that ran second (Robusta) is not a bad horse that he beat. He beat Cherokee Nation. I was just a little disappointed in Brant. We’re moving forward with Potente. He’ll have another start before the Kentucky Derby.”
Potente is by Into Mischief out of the Awesome Again mare Sweet Sting and was purchased for $2.4 million at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale.
Rich Steele/Eclipse Sportswire/CSM
Owner Peter Fluor said the team expected a contested pace and were pleased with how Hernandez handled the colt.
“I thought there would be a lot of pace, and there was, so Juan laid right off that pace,” Fluor said. “He is bred for this distance, but he had only been in a sprint race, so you kind of cross your fingers and hope something positive happens. I thought Juan did a good job laying behind them. Going around the far turn he gave him a kick and we all got excited.”
Fluor added that the colt may have had even more left once he got to the front.
“Juan said that when he got his head in front, he started to ease a little bit, but he thought he could go further so every owner likes to hear that,” Fluor said. “Obviously, the betting odds didn’t favor us (8-1) but we are very proud of the performance he did and the way Bob trained him.”
Robusta delivered a massive effort at long odds for trainer Doug O’Neill after adding blinkers for the first time.
“He ran huge,” O’Neill said. “The blinkers made the difference today. Brad Kelly of Calumet suggested them. The horse is a homebred and he’s super talented. We’re going to the Santa Anita Derby and the Kentucky Derby. Let’s go.”
Potente paid $18.20 to win, $8.40 to place, and $5.00 to show. Robusta returned $33.60 and $9.00, while So Happy paid $2.40 to show.
