BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred millionaire Baby Yoda returns for his 2026 debut Friday at Aqueduct when he heads to the gate to face four other 4-year-olds and older in an upper tier, $100,000 optional claiming set for six furlongs.
The 8-year-old gelding returns to New York where he has made 22 of his 34 career starts including a victory in the 2024 True North (Grade 2) at Saratoga Race Course and where he set an Aqueduct track record for six-and-a-half furlongs in 1:13.86 during the Belmont at Big A meet in June of last year. Another highlight in the Empire State for Baby Yoda came in a four-and-a-quarter-length victory in a first level allowance race at Saratoga in 2021 when he blazed through six-and-a-half-furlongs in 1:14.33, producing a 114 Beyer Speed Figure.
Baby Yoda was claimed for $100,000 out of a winning performance at Saratoga on August 29 by trainer Robert Falcone Jr. and owner Flying P Stable but has been unsuccessful in two starts since. He was eighth in the seven-furlong Vosburgh (G3) during the Belmont at Big A meet on September 27 and fifth last out in the $175,000 Thanksgiving Handicap at Fair Grounds on November 27.
A gelded son of Prospective has produced some solid morning efforts since his last race, however, with two bullets in his last three works, all at Churchill Downs. On December 23, he breezed four furlongs in :47.20, the fastest of 22 moves that morning; and was the fastest of 40 works when he clocked four furlongs in :47.60 on January 3. His last work, a half-mile breeze in :48.60, was the fifth fastest of 28 on the morning of January 10.
Bred in Florida by Kathleen Amaya, Alexandro Centofanti and Raffaele Centofanti, Baby Yoda is out of the More Than Ready mare More Than Speed and has won 11 with four seconds and four thirds with earnings of $1,024,820.
He is 3-1 on the morning line and will break from post two with Eric Cancel in the saddle.
Set to face Baby Yoda is 2-1 morning line favorite El Grande O, who was fourth in the Grade 3 Elite Power Stakes going six furlongs at Aqueduct in his last race on December 6. Three starts back, he was declared a non-starter after an unfair mishap at the beginning of an upper level, $100,000 optional claiming won by Baby Yoda at Saratoga on Aug. 29. He bounced back, however, to win going six furlongs under the same conditions during the Belmont at Big A meet on Oct. 9.
Owned by Barry K. Schwartz, El Grande O has won six of 17 career starts with five seconds and three thirds while earning $615,270.
He has jockey Sahin Civaci and will break from post five.
Others entered are Acoustic Ave with Jose Lezcano named to ride, Manny Franco has the call on Bold Journey and General Banker will have Ruben Silvera in the irons.
Return to the January 22 issue of Wire to Wire
