The first 2-turn stakes on the 2026 Santa Anita Derby trail takes place Saturday at the Great Race Place with the Grade 3 $100,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes. The 1-mile Kentucky Derby points prep (worth 20 to the winner) is featured on a 9-race card that includes 4 stakes.

Horseplayers with 1/ST BET and Xpressbet can take part Saturday in a 2 Million 1/ST Rewards Points Hit & Split promotion on Santa Anita’s late pick 4, which includes the Lewis, D. Wayne Lukas and Sweet Life Stakes among the quartet.

Let’s meet the contenders for the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (Race 8):

#1-DESERT GATE: Sophomore return for Grade 3 Best Pal winner and Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity and American Pharoah Stakes runner-up. First of 3 entrants for Bob Baffert, who aims for an eighth straight victory in the Lewis and record-padding 14th of his career. Regular rider Juan Hernandez returns aboard the Omaha Beach colt. Controlling rail speed gets 110 yards less to fend off his American Pharoah conqueror Intrepido in their rematch.

#2-PLUTARCH: Regally bred son of Into Mischief-Stellar Wind took 5 tries to break his maiden after placing 3 times in stakes before notching a victory. Second in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf and Thoroughbred Aftercare alliance on grass, the same surface in which be graduated last out. Finished a close third in the American Pharoah on dirt against Lewis rivals Intrepido and Desert Gate. Jockey Florent Geroux moved his tack from Fair Grounds to Santa Anita this week and has the mount for 13-time Lewis winner Bob Baffert.

#3-CHEROKEE NATION: Four-race maiden for Bob Baffert exits a runner-up finish to Lewis re-matched rival Robusta on Jan. 9. This $1.15 million Not This Time colt has a damside pedigree for turf and sprints, but has routed around 2 turns on dirt in 3 of 4 starts. Jockey Juan Hernandez hops to ride stakes winner Desert Gate for the same barn Saturday; Antonio Fresu picks up the mount.

#4-INTREPIDO: Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes winner makes his 3-year-old return for trainer Jeff Mullins. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile fifth-place finisher gives 4 pounds to each rival Saturday, carrying high weight of 124 pounds. Regular rider Hector Berrios returns aboard the son of Maximus Mischief. He’s the field’s top money earner with $292,800.

#5-BRIGGS ARMYPOWER: $2,000 Army Mule colt won Arapahoe Park’s Gold Rush Futurity in November, capturing 3 of 4 starts in Colorado. His winter in Arizona at Turf Paradise got off to an inauspicious start when eased to the wire in the Lost In The Fog Juvenile as the 7-5 favorite. Tyler Baze takes the call as the longshot stretches out from listed sprints to a graded route for the first time.

#6-ROBUSTA: Trainer Doug O’Neill has won the Lewis with the likes of Great Hunter (2007) and eventual Kentucky Derby / Preakness winner I’ll Have Another (2012). He’ll look to spring a second straight upset with this Accelerate colt, who broke his maiden at 24-1 on Jan. 9 over the mile trip. Maternal grandson of millionaire Grade 1-winning mare Urbane.

#7-SECURED FREEDOM: Last out maiden sprint winner gets tested for class and distance in his third start. Tim Yakteen trains the son of Practical Joke and regular rider Kazushi Kimura is back in the saddle. Debut fourth looked better when that race’s winner So Happy returned to win the San Vicente Stakes last month to open the Santa Anita Derby series.