Messier romps to 15-length win in Lewis Stakes for Baffert
ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — A colt named for six-time Stanley Cup winner Mark Messier scored big at Santa Anita. Messier romped to a 15-length victory in the $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes for trainer Bob Baffert. Messier ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.89 and paid $3.20 to win at 3-5 odds. Because Baffert has been suspended by Churchill Downs, his horses are ineligible for Kentucky Derby qualifying points and none of them are allowed to run in the Derby. As a result, Messier didn’t earn the 10 points given to the Lewis winner. Messier is a Canadian-bred colt who was ridden for the first time by John Velazquez.