While there are many race series and big trainers in the United States, they don’t always travel across the pond and Cheltenham Festival has been devoid of U.S. horses and trainers. There is a reason that the spring meeting at the world-famous Cheltenham course is the crown jewel of jump racing and U.S. trainers and horses have struggled at times to break into the festival. This can be attributed to fluctuations in quality of horse and trainer being produced as the sport faces stiff competition from the likes of basketball and American football.

When all four contenders in the Feb. 4 $196,000 Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes turned in the stretch at Santa Anita, Bob Baffert had the rare luxury of winning the race before the race was even finished.