Robert B. Lewis Entries
 

The GIII Robert B. Lewis to be ran 2/4/23 at Santa Anita has 16 entries.

14 of them trained by Bob Baffert.

Forecast calls for a moderate early pace with a figure eight formation of runners that mysteriously takes shape.

This has to be some kind of record and not a healthy sign. There has to be a solution that doesn't overstep, but I don't know what it is.

For the record, these are nominations, not entries.

Not like it gets any better at entry time, though, unless there are a LOT of supplementals - and based on these nominations, I wouldn't think there'd be any of those.

Right, just wanted it to be clear that 16 weren't entered. I'd guess we'll get three or four, and I won't be surprised if it is an all Bob affair.

At some point, he is going to have to transfer the horses if they want to run in the Derby. There are only going to be so many points slots left.

Several of these Baffert runners were in the San Vicente, so I doubt they come back this quickly. Do other trainers in So Cal literally not have any horses to pre-enter?

The Robert Lewis ultimately drew 4 horses, all trained by Baffert.

The hilarious part is--and this was probably by design to maximize black type earnings--that all 4 horses are coming off defeats (one is even a maiden).

Going back to this past summer, all graded stakes races for males on the main track have the profile of 2+ Baffert horses, one O'Neill, & 1-2 others.

Most of O'Neill's entrants in those races (DM Futurity, American Pharoah, Bob Hope, Los Al Futurity) were maidens. In fact, they still are maidens (Odonata, Mixto, Tall Boy). John Shirreffs raced the maiden Skinner twice in graded stakes company. His nominee for the Robert Lewis (did not enter) is also a maiden.

One of only 2 non-Baffert runners was injured in the recent Sham Stakes.

Only 3 horses from CA showed up for the BC. The only non-Baffert horse just ran last for a claiming tag yesterday (Wound Up).

2 also-rans from some of these CA graded stakes are stakes winners on turf (Classical Cat, Packs a Wahlop).

The only 2yo/3yo major stakes winner in CA not trained by Baffert is Practical Move, trained by an ex-Baffert assistant.

Can’t wait for this one :rolleyes::rolleyes:

I'm glad nobody else is running besides Baffert. Absolute disgrace to have a fake race as a Derby prep

what should happen
 

any stake race with only one trainer entering horses should immediately lose it's Graded status AND it's purse

if a single trainer wants to run a few horses (let alone one rightly banned from many jurisdictions), that's called a workout - and there are no KyD points to be awarded under these circumstances either

Santa Anita shouldn't run the race, it should be an immediate cancel

So the trainer that entered horses is the bad guy, not the trainers that didn't enter? I'll have to try to wrap my head around that one.

Not sure there is a "bad guy" here but I know for sure who isn't one.

He isn't the bad guy here. But I can't blame the others for not entering. Who wants to run against a Bob armada? I wouldn't.