ARCADIA, Calif. – Newgrange took advantage of ideal conditions in the Grade 3, $100,000 Sham Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita and strolled to a 2 3/4-length victory, scoring in front-running fashion in a Kentucky Derby prep void of pace other than his stablemate. That stablemate, 3-2 favorite Rockefeller, set up shop just behind and outside Newgrange early, as the two Bob Baffert trainees led their rivals through dawdling fractions of 24.46 seconds for the opening quarter and 48.94 seconds for the half in the one-mile race. Newgrange ($7.40), despite giving away both race and two-turn experience to Rockefeller, kicked away in upper stretch under John Velazquez and crossed the wire in 1:38.32 on the fast main track. :: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports Rockefeller nosed out Oviatt Class – a deep closer hindered by the race shape -- for second, with Mackinnon another three-quarters of a length back in fourth. Degree of Risk finished last in the five horse field. Newgrange had won his lone prior start, sprinting against maidens at Del Mar. This was his first try against winners and around two turns. He drew inside of Rockefeller. That plus his sprint speed made him the obvious horse to go to the front. The win was the eighth in tandem this young meet for Velazquez and Baffert. “There was only one other speed,” Velazquez said. “I took a hold of him and he started waiting for other horses. I let him get in a comfortable rhythm. After that it was pretty easy.” Velazquez said Newgrange was “still green,” understandable considering he’d only run once prior. “He was waiting for other horses,” Velazquez said. “His gallop-out was pretty good.” Newgrange, by Violence, is out of the unraced Empire Maker mare Bella Chianti. She, in turn, is out of Bella Chiarra, who, as track announcer Frank Mirahmadi recalled, on Feb. 28, 1999, provided the great trainer Charlie Whittingham with the final win of his career. Whittingham died on April 20, 1999. Newgrange cost $125,000 as a yearling. Both Newgrange and Rockefeller are owned by the same sprawling partnership – Golconda Stable, Madaket Stables, SF Racing, Siena Farm, Starlight Racing, Stonestreet Stables, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan, Robert Masterson, and Jay Schoenfarber. As Baffert is barred from the 2022 Derby by Churchill Downs, neither Newgrange nor Rockefeller earned points towards a Derby berth for this race, forfeiting 10 and 4 points, respectively. Oviatt Class picked up 2 points, Mackinnon 1.