Kentucky Derby Horse Profile: Plutarch

Feb 10, 2026 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

Plutarch wins the Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita. (Photo by Horsephoto.com)

Magnier, Smith, and Tabor’s three-year-old Plutarch took a short lead entering the stretch and battled gamely to the finish in taking the $101,000 Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita on Feb. 7. Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert and guided home by Florent Geroux, the sophomore clocked one-mile on the fast dirt strip in 1:37.02 to get his first stakes win. In the process, the horse also earned 20 qualifying points on the 2026 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series.

The following horses rounded out the top five and earned responding qualifying points: Intrepido (10), Secured Freedom (6), Desert Gate (4), and Cherokee Nation (2).

“I think the longer the better. He is a colt who has finally put it together this year. I watched some of his replays from last year, and from what Bob (Baffert) told me, it looked like the horse was still a little bit green, trying to figure out what was going on during the race. But today, I felt he broke very alertly for me and put me in a great spot. When I asked him to move along the lane, he responded really well. He waited for the horse on the inside a little bit, but as soon as he came by me, my horse gave me another gear. It was nice.”

PLUTARCH | 2026 G3 Robert B. Lewis

The 3YO colt picked up 20 points yesterday on the Road to the @KentuckyDerby! 🌹@flothejock pic.twitter.com/VYQ8Wl2FTE

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) February 8, 2026

The winning son of standout sire Into Mischief has run six times in his racing career, with three races on the turf and three on the dirt, and he has never finished out of the money with a 6-2-2-2, $192,000 lifetime mark. He was second in his first two starts as a two-year-old before finishing a close third in the American Pharoah (G1) at Santa Anita. He broke through with his first win in his 2025 finale when cruising home to a four-length victory on the turf at Del Mar on Nov. 30.

Plutarch was bred in Kentucky by Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt and is out of the sensational Curlin mare Stellar Wind, who was the 2015 Champion Three-Year-Old Filly. She earned more than $2.9 million in her fantastic racing career. This is the same female family that is responsible for Grade 1 winner Great Hunter, who won the 2007 edition of the Robert B. Lewis.

The next start for Plutarch has yet to be determined, although a run in the $500,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 4 is a potential next landing spot for the rising three-year-old prospect.