‘TDN Rising Star’ Arabian Lion (Justify) was sent off the 2-5 jolly for Saturday’s Sir Barton S. at Pimlico and came away in the final 150 yards to become the 11th worldwide stakes winner (sixth in the U.S.) for his outstanding young stallion.
Off extremely alertly in a scratched-down field of five, the $600,000 OBS April breezer led through a leisurely opening quarter in :24.47 under an easy John Velazquez hold, but was forced to pick it up some in the middle stages, as second choice Tapit’s Conquest (Tapit) went for a middle move three off the inside in an attempt to apply bit of pressure to the leader. Arabian Lion still held the call after three-quarters in 1:11.22 and when Tapit’s Conquest gave it one final crack entering the final furlong, the burly chestnut hit another gear after a right-handed reminder from Velazquez and ran out a facile winner over a track that has been yielding quick times.
“I should have run him in the Preakness!” said trainer Bob Baffert. “I didn’t think he could lose in the Lexington. I was just, ‘How did he get beat?’ I think that race sort of helped him, and I wanted to give him one more time around two turns. He is such a beautiful horse. He is like a smaller version of Justify and I think he is just starting to wake up. What I saw today, and that time was pretty impressive, I think he [belonged] in the Preakness the way he ran today.”