Joe Talamo celebrates on Guilt Trip in the G2 Strub S.

Still glowing in Flashback's win in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis S. earlier in the day, Bob Baffert and owners Gary and Mary West were back in the Santa Anita winner's circle a few hours later when Guilt Trip powered home to take the $200,000 Strub S.

Joe Talamo sat about a half dozen lengths off the lead in fourth for the first six furlongs of the 1 1/8-mile trip. Meanwhile, Handsome Mike and Tritap battled through quick half-mile in :46.23. Talamo eased out wide around the turn, hit the stretch in the four path, then took over about a furlong from the finish to get the nine furlongs in 1:48.97.

“It really set up great for him. The extra sixteenth (of a mile from the San Fernando S. on Jan. 12) really helped. I think the mile and a quarter (of the Grade 1 Santa Anita H. on March 2) he’ll love even more.

“He’s a professional. I just had to point him in the right direction today. Bob did a great job and I’m happy to have the opportunity for Mr. and Mrs. West.”

“He trained forwardly. Stretching him out was really important for him,” said Baffert. “The longer distance will really help him. He can sit and wait. Today the pace was pretty fast, so it was a big difference.

“It’s a good option for him,” Baffert echoed (when asked about the Santa Anita H.). “If he’s doing well. I don’t like to get ahead of myself because we’re superstitious. We don’t want to jinx ourselves.”

With his first stakes win, Guilt Trip, 4,  is now 3-0-1 in seven outings and has $237,567 in earnings.

Baffert has now won the Strub four times, the most ever, breaking him out of a six-way tie for Strub wins. His previous winners were Wooden Phone (2001), General Challenge (2000), and Silver Charm (1998).