Plutarch puts it all together in Robert B. Lewis

Feb 07, 2026 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

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

Saturday’s $101,000 Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita is a case study in how last year’s form can be overturned by horses who are improving on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Plutarch was not a celebrity as a two-year-old for Bob Baffert, who had flashier and more precocious types in the barn. Instead, Plutarch was a work in progress, as illustrated by his third in last October’s American Pharoah (G1).

But the Coolmore partners’ homebred began to turn the corner by the end of the year, and he earned another chance on the Derby trail. The Lewis served as his rematch with the rivals who beat him in the American Pharoah, Intrepido and Baffert favorite Desert Gate.

This time, Plutarch came out on top, giving Baffert a record-extending 14th win in the Lewis, and eighth in a row. The Hall of Fame trainer is a six-time Kentucky Derby winner, and Plutarch is calling to mind one of his past champions.

“This horse reminds me of Authentic,” Baffert said, comparing Plutarch to his 2020 Kentucky Derby hero by the same sire, Into Mischief. “He keeps getting better every week. I don’t think distance will be a problem with him. This is very exciting. He’s legit.”

Ridden for the first time by Florent Geroux, who recently moved to Southern California, Plutarch displayed a newfound tactical dimension. He used to look outpaced early or need more aggressive handling to gain position, but he put himself right into the mix here.

Stablemate Desert Gate, the 6-5 favorite, was supposed to show speed on the rail. When he broke a beat slow and got behind, the pace complexion changed.

Intrepido ended up with a narrow lead through an opening quarter in :23.49. The 92-1 longshot, Briggs Armypower, chased on the outside, and Plutarch moved up between them to press Intrepido. Briggs Armypower soon retreated, and his chasing role was taken over by Robusta, who ultimately could not keep up either.

As a result, the Lewis turned into a Plutarch versus Intrepido slugfest. After they matched strides through fractions of :47.65 and 1:11.35, Plutarch began to get the upper hand entering the homestretch. But Intrepido would not admit defeat, and he threw down a renewed challenge in deep stretch.

Plutarch had the last word. Edging away by three-quarters of a length, he clocked the mile in 1:37.02 and returned $10.20.

Making his champion momma Stellar Wind proud, PLUTARCH rallies home a winner of the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita! ✨ pic.twitter.com/B4x0TCBTEG

— TDN (@theTDN) February 8, 2026

Plutarch’s first stakes victory netted him 20 Derby points, for a total of 23, to advance into fourth on the leaderboard.

Intrepido took home 10 points for his hard-trying second. The Jeff Mullins trainee also has 23 points in all, but he has more non-restricted stakes earnings than Plutarch, so he ranks third in the standings.

Secured Freedom rallied for a respectable third (six points) in his stakes and two-turn debut against more experienced opponents. Desert Gate wound up fourth (four points, for a total of nine). The remaining member of Baffert’s trio, Cherokee Nation, checked in fifth (two points, for a total of three). Robusta and the eased Briggs Armypower concluded the order of finish.

Plutarch improved his record to 6-2-2-2, $192,000. The bay was coming off a convincing maiden win on the Del Mar turf course. He also placed in a pair of stakes on the grass, the Del Mar Juvenile Turf (G3) and the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance S., during the Breeders’ Cup meeting. For details on his arc of development, see the “Horses to follow” article on Plutarch at TwinSpires.com.

Bred by the Coolmore-affiliated Orpendale, Chelston, and Wynatt in Kentucky, Plutarch is out of champion Stellar Wind, a daughter of Hall of Famer Curlin. He is bred on the same pattern as Saturday’s Sam F. Davis S. winner, Renegade, who is likewise by Into Mischief and out of a well-bred Curlin mare.