Can the Man caps big day in Grade 3 Affirmed S.

Bob Baffert got his second graded stakes win of the day when Can the Man took the $100,000 Affirmed S. (G3) for 3-year-olds by 1 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita on Saturday, just a few hours after Bayern’s smashing victory in the $500,000 Woody Stephens (G2) at Belmont Park.

Trained by Baffert for Kaleem Shah, Can the Man flashed his speed early in the 1 1/16 mile Affirmed. The bay sophomore hooked up early with Frensham, with that pair head and head through a half mile in :48.83 seconds and six furlongs in 1:12.56.

Can the Man began to pull clear nearing the top of the stretch, opening up with about two lengths at the furlong marker to hold off a late-closing Friendswith K Mill. The final time on the fast track was 1:44.27 (VIDEO).

“He’s been working really good and we were hoping he’d be ready,” said winning rider Martin Garcia, who had ridden Can the Man in all four of his previous starts. “He’s a fast horse and he’s more mature now with the time off.”

Can the Man had been away from the races since last October. As a 2-year-old, he won the $100,000 Speakeasy S. at Santa Anita and also finished third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity. The victory, worth $60,000, increased the son of Into Mischief’s career earnings to $216,000.

Bred in Kentucky by Malibu Farm, LLC, Can the Man is out of Smolensk and is a half-brother to two-time stakes winner Martha’s Moon, by Malibu Moon. Smolensk is a half-sister to Better Than Honour, winner of the Grade 2 Demoiselle S. and dam of Belmont S. (G1) winners Rags to Riches and Jazil.

Can the Man sold for the highest price during the 2013 Barretts May Horses of Racing Age sale, when Baffert, as agent for Shah, placed a winning bid of $320,000.