CAVE ROCK NOTHING SHORT OF SENSATIONAL AS HE TAKES GRADE I, $300,000 AMERICAN PHAROAH STAKES BY 5 ¼ LENGTHS, PROVIDING BAFFERT WITH AN UNPRECENDENTED 1-2-3-4 FINISH

RACE IS A BREEDERS’ CUP ‘WIN & YOU’RE IN’ CHALLENGE RACE QUALIFIER

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 8, 2022)—Greatness appeared to have been center stage in Saturday’s Grade I, $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita, as Bob Baffert’s Cave Rock, in his first attempt at two turns, unleashed a powerful front-running performance under Juan Hernandez, winning by 5 ¼ lengths while getting a mile and one sixteenth in 1:43.05—three seconds faster than the winner of the Grade II Chandelier Stakes for juvenile fillies earlier in the day.

A Breeders’ Cup “Win & You’re In” Challenge Race qualifier, the American Pharoah winner thus earns a fees-paid berth into the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Nov. 4 at Keeneland.

Quick into stride from his number five post position, Cave Rock outfooted his stablemates National Treasure and Hejazi into the first turn and in Baffert’s words, “settled into a nice rhythm” in the run to the far turn.

On top by two lengths leaving the quarter pole, Cave Rock was simply brilliant in the final eighth of a mile as Baffert finished an unprecedented one-two-three-four with National Treasure, Hejazi and Gandolfini completing the superfecta.

A six-length first out maiden winner going 6 ½ furlongs Aug. 13, Cave Rock came back as the 2-5 favorite in the Grade I Del Mar Futurity at seven panels Sept. 11 and galloped by 5 ¼ lengths. Off today at 2-5 among a field of eight, he paid $2.80, $2.20 and $2.10.

A $550,000 Keenland September Yearling purchase, Cave Rock provided his sire Arrogate, who Baffert saddled to victory in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Classic, with his second graded stakes winner on the day and his third overall win.

Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Cave Rock, who is out of the Bellamy Road mare Georgie’s Angel, is unbeaten in three starts and looms the likely favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. With today’s winnings of $180,000, he increased his earnings to $408,000 while providing Baffert with his record 11th American Pharoah win and his fourth in the last five years.

Although faced with a tall order, National Treasure, with only a first-out maiden win sprinting to his credit, pressed the pace throughout, kept to his task and in all likelihood, would of won the American Pharoah in most any other year.

With Ramon Vazquez aboard, National Treasure finished 3 ½ lengths better than Hejazi and paid $5.60 and $3.20 while off at 9-1.

The beaten favorite in a pair of maiden sprints, Hejazi was third best under Mike Smith and paid $2.40 to show as the second choice at 5-2.

Cave Rock’s front-running splits were 22.96, 46.82, 1:11.07 and 1:36.56.