Newgate earns first Grade 1 win in Santa Anita Handicap

Newgate became the sixth Santa Anita H. (G1) winner for Bob Baffert with his dramatic victory in the 1 ¼-mile showcase on March 3 at Santa Anita Park.

The victory topped a terrific day for Baffert that also included wins by Du Jour in the Frank Kilroe Mile (G1) and Imagination in the San Felipe S. (G2).

The outcome of the meet’s marquee race for older horses wasn’t determined until the final strides. Argentine-bred Subsanador was the quickest at the break, with Newgate settling in fifth going into the first turn. Subsanador set a measured pace of :47.09 for the half-mile and 1:12.15 for six furlongs as he entered the final bend with the lead, He pulled clear by some three lengths with a quarter-mile to run before Newgate, along with Reincarnate, began to close on the leader turning for home.

Subsanador was still up by a length with a sixteenth to run, but Newgate was closing with every stride and won by a head in 2:03.49 on a fast track. It was 2 ½-lengths back to fellow Woods training grad Reincarnate in third.

“We always thought that he was going to be a better horse as he gets older and we’ve been patient, just getting races into him,” said Baffert. “Today was supposed to be his coming out party kind of race. I was getting a little worried there turning for home it looked like that other horse (Subsanador) got away but he just dug in.”

Newgate, a $850,000 Keeneland September Yearling by champion sire Into Mischief, is owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan. Sunday’s win, his second graded stakes to go along with last year’s Robert B. Lewis S. (G3), upped his record to 3-4-0 in nine starts and earnings to $535,775.