Several top three-year-olds, including Intrepid, Litmus Test, Desert Gate, Acknowledge Mepruts, Robusta, and Secured Freedom, all recorded timed workouts this past Saturday at Santa Anita. Among the standout two-year-old fillies tracked by Tab were Revera, who placed third in the Santa Ynez Stakes, and French Blue, who earned a debut victory earlier this month for trainer Bob Baffert.
Intrepid, Robusta, and Secured Freedom are all slated to run next Saturday in the mile-long Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita.
Under trainer Jeff Mullins, Intrepid completed five furlongs in 1:02.20. Maximus Mischief noted that Intrepid won last year’s American Pharoah Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita before finishing fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). Both Acknowledge Mepruts and Robusta are conditioned by Doug O’Neill.
Acknowledge Mepruts recently clocked a sharp six-furlong time of 1:11.60 during the San Vicente Stakes (G2) on January 10th, finishing third after seven furlongs. He is a Florida-bred stallion from Bucchero. Robusta, by Accelerate, earned his first win over a mile in only his second start at Santa Anita on January 9th, having previously run five furlongs in 1:02.60.
Secured Freedom, trained by Tim Yakuteen, showcased an impressive five-furlong clocking of 59.20 seconds. Notably, Secured Freedom previously set the mile record for maiden horses in just his second start on December 28th.
Bob Baffert sent out Litmus Test and Desert Gate, both covering five furlongs in 1:00.60. Desert Gate, along with Omaha Beach, has not raced since October, when American Pharoah finished second in competition. Litmus Test serves as a key test for jockey Nyquist, fresh off a win in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) last month.
Levela, trained by John Sadler, triumphed in the Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar last November and recently placed third behind Explorer in the Santa Ynez Stakes over seven furlongs. Lexithonian reported that Revera clocked five furlongs in 1:01.20.
French Blue, a Gun Runner offspring, ran six furlongs in 1:13.20 for Baffert. He secured victory by two and one-quarter lengths in his debut race over six furlongs at Santa Anita on January 8.
Other horses of note included Splendora (4 furlongs in 47.60 seconds), Nisos (5 furlongs in 59.40 seconds), Imagination (6 furlongs in 1:11.60), Formula Rossa (5 furlongs in 59.0 seconds), Simply Joking (5 furlongs in 1:00.60), and Lovesick Blues (4 furlongs in 49.20 seconds).
This article originally appeared in the Paulick Report on January 31, 2026, under the News section.
Fan Take: These timed workouts spotlight a promising crop of young horses poised to make a significant impact in upcoming stakes races, offering Horse Racing fans thrilling competition and new stars to follow. The performances here hint at an exciting season ahead and underline the continuous evolution of the sport’s future champions.
