Intrepido possible for GII San Felipe after Lewis runner-up

Trainer Jeff Mullins reported Intrepido was doing well after his game second-place finish behind Plutarch in Saturday’s Grade III Robert B. Lewis for 3-year-olds. He added Intrepido could return in the GII San Felipe on March 7 at Santa Anita to help accrue enough qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby, although his current preference would be to wait for the GI Santa Anita Derby on April 4.

“If we could have won, then we could have coasted and wait for the Santa Anita Derby,” Mullins said. “The question is, are you going to dance every dance before you really get down to business (in the Triple Crown)? You don’t want to chase, chase chase, those (Kentucky Derby qualifying) points. Then you get to the Derby and you’re done.”

Intrepido is owned by Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures. He currently has 23 Kentucky Derby points.

Intrepido, ridden by Hector Berrios, finished three-quarters of a length back of winner Plutarch in the Lewis going one mile. Intrepido and Plutarch dueled on the front-end for most of the race before throwing down in a stirring stretch duel. “Hector said if he was on the outside, he probably could have gone by him,” Mullins said. According to Daily Racing Form’s Brad Free, Plutarch earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure for his first dirt victory. Trainer Bob Baffert reported both Plutarch and Splendora, winner of Saturday’s GII D. Wayne Lukas, were “doing great” Sunday morning.

Intrepido earned an 89 Beyer for the Lewis.