Buetane back in San Vincente

The roads to both the GI Santa Anita Derby and GII Santa Anita Oaks get underway Saturday with the Grade II San Vicente for 3-year-olds and Santa Ynez Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, both at seven furlongs. As is usually the case in Santa Anita’s 3-year-old dirt stakes, both races go through Bob Baffert.

In the San Vicente, Baffert will saddle both morning line favorite Buetane (6-5) and recent maiden winner Greenwich Village, who is 5-1 on the morning line. In the Santa Ynez, Baffert will send out Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Explora, the 3-5 favorite; Grade I winner Bottle of Rouge (7-2) and multiple stakes winner Himika (5-1).

Buetane, returns in the San Vicente following a four-plus month layoff. By Tiz the Law, Buetane was purchased for $1.15 million by owner Zedan Racing Stable at last year’s OBS April sale of 2-year-olds in training. He debuted going six furlongs at Del Mar in August and promptly rolled to a 3 ½-length victory.

Buetane then was sent cross-country to contest the Grade I Hopeful going seven furlongs at Saratoga on Sept. 1. He stalked the leaders in mid-pack before proving second-best to Ted Noffey, who would go on to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to lock up champion 2-year-old male honors.

“He got beat by a really good horse,” Baffert said.

While Buetane returned to work following the Hopeful, Baffert elected to bypass the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. In the interim, Buetane’s worked 11 times since the end of October at Santa Anita. Baffert’s only Juvenile runner, Brant, finished third by 1 ½ lengths.

“I didn’t feel good about running him in the Breeders’ Cup—I had Brant and figured I didn’t need him,” Baffert said.

“(Buetane’s) training really well. I think he should run well. We freshened him up.”