Expert Pick of the Week: 2026 Robert B. Lewis Stakes

Feb 04, 2026 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

Desert Gate winning the Best Pal (G3) at Del Mar (Photo by Benoit Photo)

A talented group of seven sophomores will travel one mile on the Santa Anita dirt in Saturday’s $100,000 Robert B. Lewis (G3). The 2026 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series tilt will reward the top five finishers in the race with qualifying points towards the Run for the Roses on a 20-10-6-4-2 structure.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has saddled the winner of this race a record 13 times, including in seven straight seasons in advance of Saturday, and he will send out an imposing trio of three-year-olds in the contest. The most accomplished and quickest of his horses is Desert Gate, who was assigned the rail post, and he is the top selection.

The chestnut son of Omaha Beach debuted in June at Del Mar and was a very popular winner in his first race when drawing clear in the stretch as the prohibitive 2-5 favorite. He went postward at minuscule 1-5 odds in the subsequent Best Pal (G3) on the same track in his second try, and the Kentucky-bred demolished his foes by 8 3/4 lengths to move his mark to two-for-two.

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Desert Gate was a very good runner-up in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) in his third appearance, and the talented colt was once again second best in the American Pharoah (G1) in his first run at Santa Anita, as well as his initial attempt running long.

The horse who brought $260,000 at auction has been training in regular fashion since the middle of December over this surface and hasn’t missed a beat leading up to his 2026 debut. Desert Gate is quick from the gate, and while he doesn’t need to have the lead early to win, I feel that he will take command soon after the start and never look back in this particular contest. The distance seems like an ideal one to kick off his season, and I expect Desert Gate to topple this strong cast with regular rider Juan Hernandez in the saddle once again.

Expert Pick

A win play on #1 Desert Gate in the 2026 Robert B. Lewis is the Best Bet of the Week.