Desert Gate Heads Baffert Quartet in American Pharoah

Handicapping a 2-year-old stakes based on results of an earlier stakes for older horses might not seem logical. But consider the similarities between Goodwood Stakes (G1) winner Nevada Beach and American Pharoah Stakes (G1) contender Desert Gate :

Both are sons of rising stallion star Omaha Beach trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman own them both, having paid the exact same price, $260,000, for each under the Three Amigos banner. And because Nevada Beach didn’t begin his career until this season, they had nearly identical race records going into these recent starts: a maiden win, one stakes victory, and a stakes second in three outings.

However, Baffert says that the two horses are not similar physically.

“Nevada is a big, long horse with a lot of scope,” he said. “Desert Gate is smaller and built for speed.”

Juan Hernandez rode Nevada Beach and Desert Gate in each of their races until the Goodwood, when Mike Smith took over on Nevada Beach and Hernandez piloted favored Full Serrano , who finished second. Hernandez isn’t taking off of Desert Gate for the Oct. 4 American Pharoah at Santa Anita Park, one more indication that Desert Gate could be ready for a top-class effort.

Baffert has won the last four runnings of the 1 1/16-mile American Pharoah, named for the 2015 Triple Crown winner Baffert trained. Under the race’s several names, Baffert has won it a record 13 times for a variety of owners. The Three Amigos owned 2022 winner Cave Rock and 2009 winner Lookin At Lucky .

Desert Gate broke his maiden at Santa Anita by 2 1/4 lengths June 13. At Del Mar, he captured the Aug. 9 Best Pal Stakes (G3) by 8 3/4 lengths and then ran second to another Baffert potential superstar, Brant , in the Del Mar Futurity (G1). Though no one was likely to beat Brant that day, it’s worth noting that Desert Gate stumbled at the start and then was squeezed between rivals early, shuffling him back to fifth. He lost by a length.

Should Desert Gate win this year’s American Pharoah, the horse to watch for in 2026 might be a son of Omaha Beach—A Life That’s Good , by Congrats, that the Three Amigos bought at this year’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He cost a little bit more: $350,000.

The American Pharoah is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series race, giving the winner an automatic berth to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). It also awards Kentucky Derby (G1) points to the top five finishers (10-5-3-2-1) as part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series. Currently, the American Pharoah has a field of six. In the event any horses scratch out of the race, the Kentucky Derby points will be reduced under the current rules.

Like most California graded stakes for 2-year-olds, Baffert doesn’t have just one runner. He has entered three others: Kristofferson , Balboa , and Plutarch .

The large partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan owns Kristofferson and Balboa, with Stonestreet Stables an additional partner in Kristofferson.

Kristofferson is a son of Nyquist , another sire whose offspring have already performed well at the Santa Anita fall meeting. During opening weekend, Cavalieri (trained by Baffert) won the Zenyatta Stakes (G2) and Johannes captured the City of Hope Mile Stakes (G2T), both by Nyquist. Kristofferson impressed people as a yearling, bringing $1.15 million at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

In his only start, Kristofferson won a 6-furlong maiden race by three-quarters of a length Aug. 31 under Hernandez. Baffert has named Smith to ride Kristofferson in the American Pharoah.

Balboa, a son of Not This Time , sold for $875,000 at the same Keeneland sale about 175 hips after Kristofferson. He has started three times, breaking his maiden in his second outing by 7 3/4 lengths under Hernandez and then finishing fifth in the Del Mar Futurity. Umberto Rispoli will pilot Balboa for the first time.

Plutarch, still a maiden, races for Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith. The son of Into Mischief finished second in a 1-mile maiden race on the dirt Aug. 23 at Del Mar to American Pharoah entrant Intrepido . He returned to run second in the 1-mile Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes (G3T).

Trainers Jeff Mullins and Doug O’Neill have each entered one in the American Pharoah.

Mullins’ runner is Intrepido, a son of Maximus Mischief . He has started twice, finishing fourth and then scoring by 3 1/4 lengths in that Aug. 23 maiden race.

Civil Liberty , an Independence Hall colt trained by O’Neill, is a maiden but is graded stakes-placed. He ran second in his debut and followed that with a third in the Del Mar Futurity.