Bob Baffert

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency WELL-BRED WAR FRONT DEBUTS IN HALLANDALE 1st-GP, $50K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 12:40 p.m. Shug McGaughey saddles a blue-blooded first timer in Joe Allen homebred TRACY FLICK (War Front). Her GSP dam Stay the Night (Arch) is a daughter of MSW & MGSP Louve Royale (Ire) (Peintre Celebre). This is also the family of European Highweight Loup Sauvage (Riverrman); French Highweight Loup Solitaire (Lear Fan); MGSW Loup Breton (Ire) (Anabaa); and GSW Copper Bullet (More Than Ready). The Flying Pharoah (American Pharoah) debuts in...

Fair Maiden (Street Boss), last seen scoring a breakthrough win in the GI La Brea S. Dec. 26, makes her seasonal bow Saturday in the GII Santa Monica S. in Arcadia. Running on synthetic and turf during her five-race juvenile campaign, including a black-type score at Woodbine, the Godolphin homebred kicked off 2020 with a convincing optional claimer score in her first try on dirt at Churchill in September. Fourth to the re-opposing Merneith (American Pharoah) next out in Keeneland's Qatar Fort Springs S. Nov. 7, the chestnut rallied four...

In the month since we last served up a TDN Kentucky Oaks Top 10, there have been a number of stakes for 3-year-old fillies, but not a lot of movement on our list. Sun Path (Munnings) drops off the list after a disappointing fourth-place finish in the Silverbulletday and we'll wait to include Girl Daddy (Uncle Mo) until she has her first official workout in 2021. Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) came out of last weekend looking like the top threat from the West after her win in the GIII Las...

'TDN Rising Star' Concert Tour (Street Sense) had to work a bit harder Saturday than his 2-5 odds for Santa Anita's GII San Vicente S. might have predicted, but it's never easy to hook a Bob Baffert runner--even when you're one yourself. A 3 1/2-length debut winner while earning a solid 88 Beyer Speed Figure going a furlong shorter Jan. 15, the Gary and Mary West homebred broke on top from the outside six hole, but was soon outsprinted by stablemate Freedom Fighter (Violence). The bay sat perched in third...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 5th-SA, $61K, Msw, 3yo, 6 1/2f, 4:03 p.m. ET The day has finally arrived for the buzzed-about Bezos (Empire Maker) to kick off his career for Bob Baffert and the powerful ownership conglomerate nicknamed The Avengers. The $400,000 KEESEP yearling has been working so well at Santa Anita that he was bet down to 26-1 in the GI Kentucky Derby future pool that closed Jan. 24 without having yet made an afternoon appearance. His tab includes a :59.40 (1/39) gate breeze Jan. 21 in which...

David Bernsen, LLC and Rockingham Ranch's Kalypso (Brody's Cause) will look for a second straight score when she goes postward against four foes in the one-mile GIII Las Virgenes S. at Santa Anita Saturday. The chestnut filly won the six-furlong Anoakia S. in Arcadia last October and was second when stretched to 1 1/16 miles in the Dec. 5 GI Starlet S. at Los Alamitos. Cut back to seven furlongs, the Bob Baffert trainee scored by 1 3/4 lengths in the Jan. 3 GII Santa Ynez S. Richard Mandella sends...

Gary and Mary West's homebred Concert Tour (Street Sense), tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following an effortless debut victory, steps right up to graded stakes company in the seven-furlong GII San Vicente S. at Santa Anita Saturday. The Bob Baffert trainee wired the field by 3 1/2 lengths while going six furlongs at Santa Anita Jan. 15 and looks like he'll relish added distance. Baffert, who has won the San Vicente a record 10 times, also sends out Freedom Fighter (Violence). The dark bay colt just held on after setting...

During this era of globalisation, our own walk of life has also become ever more adapted to scale. In the old days, trainers and stallions alike would draw the line at a similar number: up to three dozen, say. Now all big brands seem to require big volume. With stallion books, the traditional limits guaranteed undiluted quality. If you wanted to get a mare to Bold Ruler, boy, did she have to deserve the privilege. That's why I always look for those venerable influences, up-and-down, behind modern pedigrees: because you're...

Led by 2-year-old champion and two-time Grade I winner Essential Quality (Tapit), a total of 326 3-year-olds were made eligible to compete in this year's Triple Crown during the early nomination phase, which closed Jan. 23. Each of the 326 horses from the 2018 foal crop were made eligible through a $600 payment to compete in any leg of the Triple Crown series. The 2021 Triple Crown opens Saturday, May 1 with the 147th running of the GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill, continues with the 146th GI Preakness S. at...

Michael Lund's Gamine (Into Mischief) has been disqualified and purse money was forfeited from her third-place effort in last year's GI Kentucky Oaks after testing positive for betamethasone, an anti-inflammatory medication that is classified as a Class C drug, and trainer Bob Baffert has been fined $1,500. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission issued the ruling last Saturday. Baffert waived his right to a formal hearing on the infraction. Gamine's disqualification promotes Speech (Mr Speaker), originally fourth, to third in the Oaks. The positive test was first reported publicly by The...

Coming off a dominant win in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational, Knicks Go (Paynter) is scheduled to make his next start in the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 20 in Riyadh. "As long as he breezes well this weekend, we're going to the Saudi Cup," trainer Brad Cox said. "We plan to ship him out Monday [Feb. 8]." Cox said the decision became easier when it became clear that Knicks Go came out of the Pegasus in perfect shape. "The owners [the Korea Racing Authority] would like to...

Over 700 horses have been nominated for the 25th running of the Dubai World Cup night card on Mar. 27. Nineteen countries are represented among the 762 horses which resulted in 1,511 nominations. Leading the 176 nominations for the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup over 2000 metres on dirt is GI Pegasus World Cup hero Knicks Go (Paynter) for Brad Cox and GI Runhappy Malibu S. victor Charlatan (Speightstown) for Bob Baffert. MG1SW Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) will also take part, while Godolphin fields undefeated Maxfield (Street Sense)...