Lewis winner Balboa could try G2 Remsen
The Biz
November 15, 2025
Balboa, recent winner of the James F. Lewis, III on November 8 at Laurel Park, could book his next bout in the Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen on December 6 at Aqueduct Racetrack. The nine-furlong route for juveniles offers 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-five finishers.
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Trained by Brittany Russell for SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan, Balboa utilized a prominent approach in the six-furlong James F. Lewis, III to post a 5 1/4-length victory over muddy and sealed footing.
The Not This Time colt made his first four starts in California for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, graduating at second asking in August at Del Mar in a 6 1/2-furlong sprint. He followed with a pair of rocky efforts in Grade 1 company when fifth in both the seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity in September and 1 1/16-mile American Pharoah in October at Santa Anita Park.
Tom Ryan of SF Racing said a change of scenery allowed Balboa to show more punch.
“He won the stakes last out at Laurel quite commandingly and he did it within himself. He’s a big, powerful, strong colt that probably benefits from the faster East Coast tracks,” Ryan said. “Bob was always confident he had the ability but he struggled on the surfaces in California. His advice was to send him to Brittany and see how he’d handle faster tracks with potentially a little more moisture in them.”
The $875,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase is out of the winning War Front mare Tap of War – a full-sister to Halladay, who captured the 2020 Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap. His second dam is dual Grade 3-winner Hightap.
“He’s a beautiful colt and Not This Time has no ceiling to what they can become – they can be sprinters, milers or two turns; they can be turf or dirt,” Ryan said. “He’s one of those unique stallions that seems to have all the right tools to produce good racehorses.
“We feel like he should be able to stretch out,” Ryan added. “He clearly has to step up but I’m not sure why we wouldn’t give him a chance to prove himself.”
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