By Jarrod Horak
The Grade 3, $100,000 Robert Lewis Stakes is for 3-year-olds traveling one mile on the main track. It goes as the eighth race at Santa Anita Park on Saturday, Feb. 7 and it is a Kentucky Derby 2026 points race.
Robert Lewis Stakes field:
1 – Desert Gate (6-5)
2 – Plutarch (4-1)
3 – Cherokee Nation (5-1)
4 – Intrepido (7-2)
5 – Briggs Armypower, (30-1
6 – Robusta (15-1)
7 – Secured Freedom (6-1)
Robert Lewis Analysis
Desert Gate ran well in all four starts last year. He pressed and scored as the chalk in his sprint bow. The 2-3 finishers from that heat were next-out winners, and this colt romped in the Grade 3 Best Pal second time out. He finished a length behind his stablemate Brant in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) but he had an uncomfortable trip and probably should have won that heat. He stretched out, dueled from the inside post, and held the place by a nose in a decent effort in the American Pharoah (G1) when last seen on Oct. 4. He was supposed to run in the BC Juvenile but had a hock infection and was forced to miss that event. He is training forwardly for this and Juan Hernandez stays put, and he should be all over the pace at a speed friendly distance.
Plutarch was part of the trifecta in all five starts on dirt and turf. He landed the place behind Intrepido in his flat mile debut on dirt, and he moved to turf and rallied for the place in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf (G3) second time out. He returned to dirt and finished a close third in the American Pharoah (G1) at 1 1/16 miles on Oct. 4, and he returned to turf and rallied for the show in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance at one mile on Oct. 31. He was the favorite in the special weight turf route on Nov. 30 and he rallied to graduate by more than four lengths, and three horses from that race were next-out winners. He sports back-to-back local bullets for this and Florent Geroux is his new rider.
Cherokee Nation showed marked improvement in a nose defeat at this course/distance second time out and he was miles clear of the rest. He was a flat 5th of 7 in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill in November and he added lasix and rallied to miss by a half-length in a local special weight affair at one mile on Jan. 9. Antonio Fresu hops aboard Bob Baffert’s maiden.
Intrepido broke slow and was 4th of 9 in his dirt sprint bow. Winner Brant and show finisher Balboa were next-out winners, and this one battled on the pace and graduated by more than three lengths at one mile second time out (slow early/fast late). He stalked the pace and got up late in the Grade 1 American Pharoah, and he broke slow and never picked up his feet when last seen in the BC Juvenile (G1) on Oct. 31. He figures to stalk the pace while out in the clear.
Briggs Armypower won three of his first four dirt sprints and he was last of 10 in the Lost in the Fog at Turf Paradise last time. He is overmatched.
Robusta set the pace and held off Cherokee Nation at this course/distance as a 24-1 longshot on Jan. 9 (slow early/fast late). He will need to run faster early to secure the lead.
Secured Freedom was an okay 4th of 10 in his dirt sprint bow and winner So Happy clicked right back in the Grade 2 San Vicente. This one stalked and kicked clear at 6 1/2 furlongs second time out and he stretches out after two sprints. He earned a decent number last time and might not be out of this.
Robert Lewis Video