Mor Spirit lopes through three-quarters ahead of Lewis; Exaggerator posts gate move for San Vicente

Edited Press Release

Kentucky Derby (G1) hopeful Mor Spirit worked six furlongs over Santa Anita’s fast main track Saturday morning in a relatively pedestrian 1:13.60.

The Eskendereya ridgling is readying for his three-year-old debut in the Robert B. Lewis S. (G3) going 1 1/16 miles on February 6 at the Arcadia, California, venue.

Trainer Bob Baffert had the dark bay Kentucky-bred galloping out seven furlongs in 1:29.

Regular rider Gary Stevens was aboard Mor Spirit, who worked in company with stakes-winning sophomore Mt Veeder, who was also timed in 1:13.60.

“It was a good stiff work for him,” Baffert said of Mor Spirit, who last raced on December 19 when he won the Los Alamitos Futurity (G1) by 1 1/4 lengths. “The track is very demanding in the mornings.”

Mor Spirit is 4-2-2-0 thus far in his career, having run second in his debut before breaking his maiden on October 23. Both those starts came at Santa Anita but Mor Spirit then shipped to Churchill Downs to try stakes rivals in the Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2), where he also finished second.

“It’s on to the Lewis. He’s on schedule,” Baffert added.

Exaggerator, another Kentucky Derby hopeful, worked seven furlongs out of the gate in 1:25.80 on Saturday at Santa Anita for trainer Keith Desormeaux. The trainer’s brother, jockey Kent Desormeaux, was in the irons as the Kentucky-bred prepares for his seasonal bow in the San Vicente S. (G2) going seven furlongs at Santa Anita on February 15.

Like Mor Spirit, Exaggerator brings a graded win into his three-year-old debut. The dark bay son of Curlin closed out 2015 with a close neck victory in the Delta Downs Jackpot S. (G3) on November 21.

Prior to that he was fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) and runner-up in the Breeders’ Futurity S. (G1) at Keeneland, captured the Saratoga Special S. (G2) in New York and broke his maiden at Del Mar in his second career try.

Mor Spirit photo courtesy of Benoit Photos