Top jockey Frankie Dettori will be looking to give trainer Bob Baffert a remarkable eleventh win in Saturday’s Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita after being booked to ride Newgate – but with Baffert having ALL four of the 2023 Robert B. Lewis Stakes runners, then he’s going to win the prize anyway!
Frankie Dettori On Farewell Tour After Announcing Retirement
The veteran Italian jockey Frankie Dettori is riding at Santa Anita at the moment as he embarks on his farewell season since announcing his retirement last year.
Dettori has said that he’ll do a ‘world tour’ as a result of this being his last season, which has seen him riding in California during the early part of the season. He’s then likely to head off to Dubai in March and then be returning to the UK to ride in their top races over the summer months.
He will then look to end his riding days at the Breeders’ Cup 2023, back at Santa Anita in November, in what could be a year to remember for the 52 year-old.
Frankie Dettori Will Ride Newgate In Saturday’s Robert B. Lewis Stakes
However, the focus for Dettori this weekend will be the Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday as he’s been snapped up by the powerful Bob Baffert stable to ride Newgate.
After a respectable second in the Sham Stakes (Dettori also rode that day) at Santa Anita on Jan 8, the 3 year-old will head into the $200,00 contest with huge chance of finishing one place better.
Having ended that recent outing off well over a mile the step up to 1 1/16 in Saturday’s Grade III contest looks a good move by connections and is expected to be finishing off the race well and gets the verdict to win this for Dettori and Baffert.
It’s Safe to Say – Bob Baffert WILL Win The 2023 Robert B. Lewis Stakes
We are not going to win any prizes for telling you Californian trainer Bob Baffert WILL win Saturday’s Robert B. Lewis Stakes – he’s got ALL four of the entries!
Yes, the 10-time winner of Saturday’s Santa Anita contest has seemingly scared off the other runners with only Baffert’s Arabian Lion, Newgate, Worcester and Hard To Figure looking to take on Frankie and Newgate.
Therefore, with record 10 wins in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, Baffert is guaranteed to make it eleven this Saturday.
The other runners in the race for the barn are – Arabian Lion, who will be ridden by John Velazquez, Worcester by Juan Hernandez and Hard To Figure by Ramon Vazquez.
Robert B. Lewis Stakes Trifecta Picks and Predictions
Only four runners so, of course not as many permutations for the win, place and trifecta picks.
As mentioned, we feel that Newgate has the form in the book to win the race but is very closely-matched with stablemates Arabian Lion and Worcester. The ratings, however, suggest Hard To Figure has a bit to find on level weights so we are going to discount him finishing in the first three.
Arabian Lion was a beaten odds-on favourite in the Los Alamitos Futurity Grade 2, so needs to bounce back from that poor display – however, prior to that effort had shown fair ability to suggest that run was too bad to be true.
Worcester has only had two career runs but has shown some promising with a 4th and 2nd. Both also came at Santa Anita so that track experience will be a plus and should have a fair bit more to come and might be worth chancing to be second to Newgate here.
Hard To Figure was 5th in the Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar last time (Nov 20), while before that won at Los Alamitos. He’s got a bit to find at the ratings with the other three Baffert runners so might have to improve to hit the top three.
- Robert B. Lewis Trifecta Picks
- 1st Newgate
- 2nd Worcester
- 3rd Arabian Lion
Robert B. Lewis Stakes Forecast Betting With BetOnline
- Arabian Lion 7/5
- Newgate 8/5
- Worcester 9/5
- Hard To Figure 8/1
Bob Baffert Has A Record 10 Wins In The Robert B. Lewis Stakes
So we know the The Robert B. Lewis Stakes is a race the Bob Baffert yard love to target each season – they’ve landed the first prize in the contest 10 times in the past – including for the last four runnings.
Their first success came in 1999 with General Challenge and since then have mopped-up another nine successes, with the most recent being 12 months ago with Messier (watch below).
Bob Baffert Robert B. Lewis winning years: (1999, 2003, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
WATCH: Messier Winning The 2022 Robert B. Lewis Stakes
Who Was Robert B. Lewis?
Saturday’s feature Grade 3 race at Santa Anita is the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, but who is RBL?
Robert ‘Bob’ Lewis was an American businessman and racehorse owner, whose horses often ran at Santa Anita. The race was first run back in 1935 with the race known originally as the Santa Catalina but has been better known as the Robert B. Lewis Stakes from 2007 after Lewis died the previous year (Feb 17, 2006).
