ARCADIA, Calif. — Concert Tour won the $200,000 San Vicente Stakes by a half-length over Freedom Fighter on Saturday at Santa Anita, giving Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert a 1-2 finish of Kentucky Derby hopefuls.
Ridden by Joel Rosario, Concert Tour ran seven furlongs in 1:24.06 and paid $2.80, $2.40 and $2.10 as the heavy 2-5 favorite.
Concert Tour and Freedom Fighter raced as a team over the final quarter of a mile before Concert Tour edged in front. Baffert earned his record 11th win in the Grade 2 race.
Freedom Fighter returned $3.60 and $2.20. The Chosen Vron was another 2¾ lengths back in third and paid $2.10 to show.
Freedom Fighter had been idle since Aug. 1, when he won his first race.
“Freedom Fighter just broke like a rocket ship. He’s really fast and been doing really well,” Baffert said. “I thought they were going to get into a speed duel. It was a good race for both of them.”
The victory, worth $120,000, increased Concert Tour’s career earnings to $156,600.
Last weekend, Medina Spirit led all the way and fought off two challengers late to win the $100,000 Robert Lewis Stakes by a neck for Baffert in another Kentucky Derby prep at Santa Anita.