3-year-olds in the spotlight next weekend at Santa Anita

Santa Anita will host five stakes next weekend including the GIII Robert B. Lewis for 3-year-olds on Saturday and the GIII Fasig-Tipton Las Virgenes for 3-year-old fillies on Sunday.

The Lewis is contested at one mile and offers qualifying points to this year’s Kentucky Derby. It also serves as a prep for the GI Santa Anita Derby on April 5. The Las Virgenes, also at a mile, is a point-paying prep for the Kentucky Oaks. It also is part of Santa Anita’s 3-year-old fillies series culminating with the GII Fasig-Tipton Santa Anita Oaks on April 5.

A total of 13 sophomores are nominated to the Lewis. Trainer Bob Baffert has six of the nominees including last year’s 2-year-old champion, Citizen Bull. Trainer Michael McCarthy nominated Bullard, who most recently was third in the GIII San Vicente going seven furlongs Jan. 4 at Santa Anita.

The rest of the Lewis nominees with trainer are Baeza (Shirreffs), Barnes (Baffert), Clock Tower (W. Ward), Fomo Joe (Hanson), Getaway Car (Baffert), Madaket Road (Baffert), Rank (O’Neill), Rodriguez (Baffert), Romanesque (Baffert) Smooth Cruisein (Headley) and Valentines Candy (J. Mendoza).

The Las Virgenes has 13 sophomore fillies nominated led by Grade I Tenma for Baffert. Also among the baker’s dozen of nominees are Fasig-Tipton Santa Ynez winner Look Forward for McCarthy and Artisma, trained by Richard Baltas, who was a head back of Look Forward in the Santa Ynez.

The remaining nominees for the Santa Ynez are A.Z. Wildcat (Sadler), As Catch Can (Thomas), Casalu (Baffert), Cipriani (Baffert), In the Air Tonight (Knapp), Just As Fancy (McCarthy), Lolo Le Plume (Hess), Our Moonlight (Pederson), Silent Law (Baffert) and Will Then (Thomas).

In addition to the Lewis on Saturday, Santa Anita will also run the GII Santa Monica for fillies and mares going seven furlongs; GIII Thunder Road for older horses at a mile on turf; and GIII Megahertz for older fillies and mares at a mile on turf.