Back home in California, Bob Baffert had good-hands people working for him Monday at Oaklawn Park.
Saddled by Wayne Lukas and ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, Mourinho took care of business in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes.
Making his 3-year-old debut and first start both around two turns and outside California, the Super Saver colt led throughout a fast-rated mile in 1:37.25, fastest of the four-day meeting.
In a homecoming for the 2012 Lake Hamilton High graduate, Van Dyke slowed the pace to 48.09 seconds through a half-mile and let out a notch going into the far turn, opening four lengths on his nearest rival. The winning margin was 3 1/4 lengths, emphatic enough.
"It's extra special because it's my hometown," said a "very happy" Van Dyke, the 2014 Eclipse Award winner as leading apprentice jockey in the country.
Baffert, meanwhile, notched his first Smarty Jones victory and broke a mini-slump in Oaklawn's Triple Crown prep races since Cupid's win in the 2016 Grade 2 Rebel.
"He broke well and made an easy lead, which was very encouraging," Baffert told reporters by telephone. "We're excited that he could take this step. We'll get him back to California (Mourinho leaves today) and figure out where we'll run him next."
Options include Oaklawn's Grade 3 $500,000 Southwest Feb. 19. Then comes the Grade 2 $900,000 Rebel March 17 at the Southwest distance of a mile and sixteenth before the Grade 1 $1 million Arkansas Derby April 14 at nine furlongs.
Mourinho was fitted with blinkers, as in his first two starts, after his second to next-out Springboard Mile winner Greyvitos without the hood in the Grade 3 Bob Hope Nov. 17 at Del Mar.
"He got too relaxed that day and let horses get away from him," Baffert said.
Said Van Dyke: "He's a horse that we get him to relax in the morning, so the blinkers, I think, helped keep him focused. Young horses like that need to stay focused. I think it benefited him."
Combatant finished a distant but solid second, eight lengths ahead of stablemate Tap Daddy, with Bode's Maker fourth and Arched feather last of five. The top four received points on a 10-4-2-1 basis for a possible start in the Kentucky Derby May 5 at Churchill Downs.
Mourinho went for $625,000 at the March 2017 sale of 2-year-olds in training at Ocala, Fla. The bay colt, an odds-on choice Monday paying $3.20 to win, has earned $154,360 for Kerri Radcliffe (Phoenix Thoroughbreds).
The Smarty Jones lost two of its original seven starters when Florida-based Navistar could not make travel arrangements and Arkansas-owned Lone Rock went instead in an entry-level allowance Saturday, placing fourth.
Navistar, trained by future Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, came off an impressive maiden victory at Gulfstream Park going a mile. The Union Rags colt would have been strongly backed at the windows and might have challenged Mourinho early.
"Even before that (Navistar's scratch), Bob said we're the fastest horse in the race so get the lead and go from there," Van Dyke said. "That worked out well for us. (Mourinho) threw his ears up and just coasted home."
As for Lukas saddling Mourinho in Baffert's absence, it was a case of one Hall of Fame trainer -- each a four-time Kentucky Derby winner -- helping another. Respectful rivals on the track, Lukas introduced Baffert at the latter's 2009 induction to the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
"Who would have thought 37 years ago that (Donald) Trump would be president and Wayne Lukas would be my assistant?" Baffert said after the race. "It reminded me of the times when we both saddled quarter horses."
Sports on 01/16/2018