Forbidden Kingdom blazes all the way in San Felipe
Mar 05, 2022
American Pharoah’s son Forbidden Kingdom aced his first two-turn test in Saturday’s $401,000 San Felipe (G2) at Santa Anita. Running his rivals ragged over 1 1/16 miles, just as he did in sprints, the Richard Mandella trainee jumped onto the Kentucky Derby (G1) leaderboard with 50 points.
In fact, Forbidden Kingdom increased his winning margin with the increase in distance. The chestnut won the seven-furlong San Vicente (G2) by 2 1/4 lengths, but he dominated the San Felipe by 5 3/4 lengths as the even-money favorite.
Owned by MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm, Forbidden Kingdom blazed to the lead again, and none of his rivals was fast enough to go with him early. The one who might have tried to keep him company, Beautiful Art, hopped at the start and ended up trailing. Instead, the nearest pursuer was Armagnac, until he couldn’t keep up and began to retreat.
Forbidden Kingdom was two lengths clear through an opening quarter in :22.66 and three in front at the half in :45.90. His advantage more than doubled to seven lengths as he reached the six-furlong mark in 1:10.46. By that point, Doppelganger improved into second, but the 17-10 second choice didn’t make much of a dent in the stretch.
Although Forbidden Kingdom was decelerating through a final sixteenth in a shade over seven seconds, he was still all alone at the wire in 1:43.98. The rest of the field was strung out behind him.
“He’s really fast,” regular rider Juan Hernandez said. “A couple of jumps after we broke, he was in front already. I let him run because if you fight with him, he tries to go faster.
“I let him have fun. I turned him loose and he never stopped, he kept going the whole race. He proved how good he is today.”
Mandella wasn’t sure how Forbidden Kingdom would handle the added ground.
“I was anxious to see this race and see if he would get two turns,” the Hall of Famer commented. “He looked even better. I was a little nervous when I saw the :45 on the board for the first half. He just did what he likes to do.”
Doppelganger, best of the rest by 4 3/4 lengths, is ineligible for Derby points because trainer Bob Baffert is suspended by Churchill Downs Inc. Happy Jack picked up 10 points in third, and Beautiful Art earned five points for checking in fourth. Cabo Spirit, Armagnac, and Worse Read Sanchez rounded out the order of finish.
Forbidden Kingdom has compiled a record of 5-3-1-1, $434,000. He had excuses in both losses last fall, a troubled passage when third in the Speakeasy S. on turf and a grabbed quarter when runner-up to Messier in the Bob Hope (G3).
Fans can look forward to a rematch with Messier in the Apr. 9 Santa Anita Derby (G1).
Bred by Springhouse Farm in Kentucky, Forbidden Kingdom sold for $300,000 as a Fasig-Tipton yearling. His dam, Just Louise, won the 2010 Debutante (G3) as a juvenile at Churchill Downs. A mare by Five Star Day, Just Louise is a half-sister to Grade 2 victress Sara Louise.
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