Grade 1, $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes, 1 1/16 miles, Santa Anita, Sept. 26, 2020 (10 Derby qualifying points for a win, 4 for second, 2 for third, 1 for fourth) Winner: Get Her Number, by Dialed In Trainer: Peter Miller Jockey: Flavien Prat Owner: Gary Barber Beyer Speed Figure: 84 This did not appear to be a vintage edition of this race. The top Beyer Speed Figure entering the race was a 75, earned by TOUCHDOWN BROWN in a California-bred sprint stakes, and only one other horse, SPIELBERG, had earned a fig in the 70s. The top two finishers – GET HER NUMBER and ROMBAUER – both were exiting the Del Mar Juvenile Turf, in which they finished fourth and sixth, respectively, and both were making their dirt debuts here. Perhaps they’ve found new life on dirt, but I’m viewing this race with plenty of skepticism for now. In this race, Get Her Number had good speed and went into the first turn just outside of pacesetting DYN O MITE. He gradually put pressure on Dyn O Mite and then took the lead three furlongs out while going along comfortably. He was challenged by Rombauer heading into the lane, but kept a safe margin to the wire, and even though the winning margin was only three-quarters of a length, the outcome never looked in jeopardy. :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2021: Point standings, prep schedule, news, and more Rombauer, who finished second, bobbled slightly a few strides after leaving the gate, but it was immaterial. He settled at the back of the field around the first turn, made an extended run four paths wide on the far turn to vault from last to second, seemed to want to lug in slightly in upper stretch, kept to his task all the way to the wire, but never gave the winner a serious scare. Spielberg, who was third, eased back from between Dyn O Mite and Get Her Number heading into the first turn to drop into an ideal spot, saving ground behind those two. He had to wait briefly in traffic midway on the far turn while following Get Her Number to avoid the tiring Dyn O Mite, but was outrun by the top two through the lane; he was closer to them at the quarter pole than he was at the finish. WASPIRANT, who was fourth, was midpack while three to four paths wide around the first turn, advanced outside Get Her Number while in the three path on the far turn, had Rombauer rush past him a quarter-mile out, drifted out a bit in upper stretch, and went through the motions the rest of the way to be beaten 10 lengths. Dyn O Mite, who was fifth, veered out a bit at the start, then rushed up along the inside to take the lead while looking as though he wanted to lug out around the first turn. He rolled along on the front end to the far turn, was under energetic handling midway on the turn, then gave way readily after passing the quarter pole. Touchdown Brown, who was sixth, saved ground around the first turn while in front of only Rombauer, was asked to advance three furlongs out but had little to offer as Rombauer swooped past him, came into the lane in the four path, and was not persevered with through the stretch. NOTABLE EXCEPTION, who finished last of seven, broke a step slowly and then stumbled, moved sharply between Spielberg and Waspirant to get closer entering the first turn, then gave way badly beginning three furlongs out and was well beaten. His only prior race was on all-weather at Arlington, so maybe he didn’t like dirt, but it would be hard to ascribe this poor effort to that alone.