(Trainer Bob Baffert / Photo by Coady Media)

– BAFFERT SENDS OUT A PAIR IN BOTH SANTA ANITA DERBY, OAKS – THE PADRE RETURNS IN KEY HIGH-LEVEL ALLOWANCE FRIDAY – 1/ST TV: VIDEO WORKOUTS UP FOR 191 HORSES ENTERED THIS WEEK 

BAFFERT SENDS OUT A PAIR IN BOTH SANTA ANITA DERBY, OAKS Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert on Saturday will saddle the top two choices in the GI Santa Anita Derby, Potente and Cherokee Nation, as well as formidable duo of Forced Entry and French Blue in the GII Santa Anita Oaks.

The 1 1/8-mile Derby and Oaks going 1 1/16 miles are part of a stakes-laden, 12-race program Sunday that also includes the GIII Monrovia for fillies and mares on the hillside turf course and both the Echo Eddie and Evening Jewel for horses bred or sired in California. First post is 12 p.m. PT. The Santa Anita Derby, which goes as the 10th race at 4:46 p.m., will be streamed live on Peacock along with the GI Blue Grass Stakes from Keeneland. Coverage starts at 3 p.m. As for Baffert’s Derby runners, both are drawn down on the inside. Cherokee Nation, the 5-2 second choice on the morning line, will break from the rail while Potente, the 2-1 favorite, will start directly to his outside in post two.

“I’m not worried about it because there’s nothing I can do about it,” Baffert said Thursday morning.

Potente enters the Derby a perfect 2-for-2. He is campaigned by Speedway Stables, who purchased the colt by Into Mischief for $2.4 million at auction as a yearling. In last month’s GII San Felipe going 1 1/16 miles, Potente came from off the pace under Juan Hernandez to narrowly win by a head over Robusta, who also returns in the Derby. The San Felipe was Potente’s first-time facing winners and first-time racing around two turns.

“He should improve with that being just his second out,” Baffert said. “When he hit the wire, he was just getting going.”

As for Cherokee Nation, he failed to hit the board in both of his two previous graded stakes tries, though both came while still a maiden. On Feb. 27, after finishing fifth in the GIII Robert B. Lewis, Cherokee Nation was dropped in with maidens and promptly aired by 10 lengths. The effort earned a lofty 100 Beyer Speed Figure, which is tied for the second highest posted by a 3-year-old this year.

“They are both training well. Cherokee Nation, he’ll need to break cleanly. But if he runs the same race as last time he should be right there,” Baffert said.

Cherokee Nation, by Not This Time, was a $1.15 million auction buy as a yearling. His extensive ownership group is led by SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stable.

Cherokee Nation will be mounted by his fifth different jockey in what is his seventh start in the Derby. In his breakout maiden victory last time out, Emisael Jaramillo was aboard. But in the Derby, Jaramillo has opted to ride Robusta, who is trained by Doug O’Neill and is 8-1 on the morning line. Florent Geroux takes over on Cherokee Nation.

“Can you believe a horse of this caliber and I can’t keep the same rider?” Baffert said. “Jaramillo, he had his choice. But O’Neill is his man. He brough him out here and I respect that. He’s a good rider. He has done really well.”

Baffert is seeking his first Santa Anita Derby win since 2019 with Roadster.

The field in post position order: Cherokee Nation, Florent Geroux (5-2); Potente, Juan Hernandez (2-1); Vitruvian Man, Antonio Fresu (15-1); Robusta, Emisael Jaramillo (8-1); So Happy, Mike Smith (7-2); Start the Ride, Armando Ayuso (30-1); Intrepido, Hector Berrios (7-2).

THE PADRE RETURNS IN KEY HIGH-LEVEL ALLOWANCE FRIDAY The Padre, who last summer won the La Jolla and GII Del Mar Derby after being imported from Ireland, returns from a seven-month layoff Friday in a high-level allowance going 1 1/8 miles on turf. The race could serve as a springboard to the GI Shoemaker Mile on May 25.

Trained by Phil D’Amato, The Padre will have to tackle an accomplished cast in his return. The field, which has combined earnings of more than $2.87 million, also includes graded stakes winners Mi Hermano Ramon, Cabo Spirit, Hiding in Honduras and Astronomer, who has placed in multiple graded stakes for trainer Simon Callaghan, rounds out the field.

As for The Padre, last year he won the 1 1/16-mile La Jolla by a half-length and then came right back to score in the 1 1/8 miles Del Mar Derby by one length. Both wins came under Umberto Rispoli. With Rispoli out with an ankle injury, Antonio Fresu takes over on The Padre. Fresu previously rode The Padre in his U.S. debut last June at Santa Anita.

For his comeback, The Padre has worked eight times since Feb. 9 at Santa Anita. Two weeks ago, the 4-year-old colt by Ghaiyyath fired a bullet on the training track when working five furlongs in 59.8 seconds.

First post Friday is 1 p.m. PT for a nine-race card. The aforementioned allowance goes as the third race at 2 p.m. The field in post position order: Gran Oriente, Armando Ayuso (6-1); Mi Hermano Ramon, Emisael Jaramillo (5-2); Cabo Spirit, Mike Smith (4-1); Hiding in Honduras, Juan Hernandez (4-1); The Padre, Antonio Fresu (7-2); Astronomer, Hector Berrios (7-2).

1/ST TV: VIDEO WORKOUTS FOR 191 HORSES ENTERED THIS WEEK 1/ST TV has free video workouts available for 191 horses who are entered to run over the four days of racing offered at Santa Anita Park this week. Nearly every horse has multiple workouts for horseplayers and horsemen to compare and contrast how a horse is coming into a race.

There are workouts available of 29 runners for Thursday’s eight-race card and 37 for the nine races on Friday. For Saturday’s 12-race card, 1/ST TV has workouts on 78 of the entrants, while the Easter Sunday card has captured 47 horses training in the morning. Workouts are available on 1ST.TV, with the free, linkable PDF available at https://1st.tv/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WR_3-31-26.pdf.