Lewises Acquire Promising 3-Year-Old Global Gait

Global Gait, a multiple stakes winner in Maryland who has captured his last three starts at Laurel by a combined 22 1/2 lengths, has been sold to Robert and Beverly Lewis for an undisclosed sum and was scheduled to arrive at trainer Bob Baffert's barn Monday night, former trainer Anthony Dutrow said Monday morning.

Baffert said he had been very impressed with Global Gait's races, and expressed an interest in the horse after the Rollicking, but wanted to see him stretch out first. When Global Gait won impressively going nine furlongs, Baffert made an offer.

"I was really impressed with him when I saw him break his maiden on TVG," Baffert said. "But they wanted too much money at the time. After he won the Rollicking, I wanted to see what he could do around two turns. When he won just as impressively going a mile and an eighth, I got on him immediately. Now, he showed me he was worth the price. I called Bob Lewis, and Bob never even hesitated. I know you're taking a chance buying a gelding, but Bob is looking for a racehorse. He's in it for the action. He's not into lawn ornaments."

Global Gait was previously owned by Thomas Sutton, who had purchased the Maryland-bred son of Concern as a yearling for $26,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale. Global Gait, who has since been gelded, broke his maiden by 13 1/4 lengths on Oct. 20 before capturing the 7-furlong Rollicking Stakes by 3 3/4 lengths and 1 1/8-mile Maryland Juvenile Championship by 5 lengths.

A just-turned 3-year-old of 2001, Global Gait has been undefeated since finishing third in his career debut over a Delaware Park track labeled "wet-fast." The gelding has earned $114,120.

"Tom Sutton did the right thing," Dutrow said. "The Lewises can afford to give a lot of money. Tom is a working guy and was smart to take that kind of money for a gelding. Sure, I was disappointed to see him go, but I'll be rooting for him to do well."