NEWGATE SCORES IN ROBERT LEWIS FOR BAFFERT

Newgate won the $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes by a neck on Saturday, with Bob Baffert as the trainer of all four horses in the Kentucky Derby prep race at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia.

Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Newgate ran 11⁄16 miles in 1:43.11 and paid $4 as the evenmoney favorite. There was no show wagering because of the field size.

Worcester, a maiden, was another 13⁄4 lengths back in third. Arabian Lion was fourth.

“So much improvement in all these horses,” Baffert said. “I was actually nervous before the race, worried that something weird might happen, but I can relax now.”

The Lewis was a Kentucky Derby prep race, but no points were awarded because Baffert has been banned for two years by Churchill Downs Inc. The Hall of Fame trainer was in Louisville on Friday to testify in federal court as he seeks a temporary injunction to end the suspension, which runs through the end of the upcoming spring meet. It was meted out following a failed drug test by Medina Spirit after the colt finished first in the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

Newgate earned his first graded stakes victory. The colt was second, beaten by a neck in the Sham Stakes last month in his previous start.

“Frankie Dettori has been teaching him how to just sit back, relax and come with a punch and that’s what he did today,” Baffert said.

The victory, worth $120,000, increased Newgate’s career earnings to $241,975, with two wins in six starts.

In other stakes on the card, Quarttrolle ($23.60) came from the clouds to win the Grade III Megahertz for older fillies and mares at one mile on the turf; the Bafferttrained Fun to Dream ($3) made it 4 for 4 on the Santa Anita main track and the same mark at 7 furlongs in the Grade II Santa Monica for older fillies and mares; and finally Earls Rock ($9.80), ridden by Flavien Prat and trained by Phil D’amato. won the Grade III Thunder Road for older horses at one mile on the grass.

Mott hot at Gulfstream

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott made a few visits to the Gulfstream Park winner’s circle on Saturday, including after saddling Rocket Can for a triumph in the Grade III Holy Bull for 3-year-olds at Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Frank Fletcher Racing Operations Inc.’s Rocket Can ($7.20) overcame an extremely wide trip in the 11⁄16-mile race to score by three-quarters of a length. The son of Into Mischief was ridden by Junior Alvarado.

Rocket Can was asked for run leaving the backstretch and made a three-wide move to the lead at the top of the stretch and continued on to withstand a stretch challenge from Shadow Dragon, another Mott trainee ridden by Jose Ortiz.

Mott also went one-two in a mile allowance race on the main track for 3-year-olds when Taprit Trice ($4.60) beat Shesterkin.