Bob Baffert

The GI Runhappy Malibu S. on Santa Anita's opening day program could potentially feature a clash between two of the more exciting sophomores in training. The immensely talented duo of Charlatan and Nashville, both 'TDN Rising Stars' and by leading sire Speightstown, are currently being aimed at the prestigious Dec. 26 seven-furlong contest. The Bob Baffert-trained Charlatan most recently crossed the wire a dominating six-length, wire-to-wire winner in the split-division GI Arkansas Derby May 2, but was subsequently stripped of the victory and demoted to ninth after testing positive for...

Two-year-old sensation and 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief) will likely make his next start in the GIII Sham S. on Jan. 2 at Santa Anita, reports trainer Bob Baffert. The one-mile event carries a purse of $100,000. "If all is going well, it looks like the Sham will be his next race," Baffert said. "It will give me a chance to stretch him out. Then I will decide on what's next and look at races like the Rebel at Oaklawn." Owned by WinStar Farm and the China...

Five stakes races--three of which are graded--highlight the 2020 Los Angeles County Fair Winter Thoroughbred meet at Los Alamitos. The season will begin Friday, Dec. 4 and continue through Sunday, Dec. 20. Racing is scheduled to be conducted Friday-Sunday the first week (Dec. 4-6) and Thursday-Sunday the final two weeks (Dec. 10-13 and Dec. 17-20). Post time will be 1 p.m. on weekdays and 12:30 p.m. on weekends. The $300,000 GI Starlet S. and the $200,000 GII Los Alamitos Futurity will be run, respectively, Saturday, Dec. 5 and Saturday, Dec....

With likely Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief) recently retired to stud, the Bob Baffert barn wasted no time unveiling its next speedy superstar by the nation's leading sire as CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm LLC's Life is Good (Into Mischief) demolished his competition to become a no-brainer 'TDN Rising Star'. The bay prepped for this with a head-turning 1:00 flat (1-of-51) gate breeze last Saturday (XBTV Video), and drifted up to 1-5 at the off after spending much of the betting cycle at 1-9. Zipping off to lead...

Since his maiden-breaking 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy juvenile debut, McKinzie had caught the eye of Gainesway Farm. But according to Gainesway's Director of Stallion Sales and Recruitment Sean Tugel, the son of Street Sense had the attention of nearly every top stud farm in the country. "He was on everybody's radar from the very beginning," he said. "Any time you see one win first time out from Bob Baffert's barn, you have to recognize it." [tdn_vimeo_embed title="McKinzie at Gainesway Farm" admp4="https://player.vimeo.com/external/454078835.sd.mp4?s=e4abccf474c464c025df68f2a109c29ca8402ae7&profile_id=165" videomp4= "https://player.vimeo.com/external/481849258.sd.mp4?s=b0108e0717b96d50a0ed06578fa2458c02f1f51e&profile_id=165" thumbnail= ""] McKinzie's resume only improved from there...

3rd-CD, $85K, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 1m, 2:00 p.m. ET First-time starter MISS TAPIRADO (Tapit) topped the 2019 Keeneland April 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, bringing $1.3 million from Prince Sultan bin Mishal Al Saud after breezing in a co-bullet :10 flat. Consigned by Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds, agent, she was previously a $775,000 KEENOV weanling purchase by Baccari Bloodstock. Grade I winner My Conquestadory (Artie Schiller) brought $1.5 million from SF Bloodstock & Newgate Farm while carrying Miss Tapirado at the Conquest Stables dispersal at the 2016 Keeneland November Sale. Miss Tapirado's...

Over the past year or so, a series of high-profile positives attributed to environmental contamination have dogged racing's highest-profile trainer, Bob Baffert. Last week, the California Horse Racing Board's Board (CHRB) conducted a hearing into the Dextrorphan positive incurred by the Baffert-trained Merneith (American Pharoah) in July. Connections had attributed the positive to cross-contamination stemming from Merneith's groom, who took DayQuil and NyQuil, both of which contain Dextrorphan. Before that were the positives from Arkansas in May, when the Grade I-winning Gamine (Into Mischief) and Charlatan (Speightstown) subsequently tested positive...

With the ongoing Del Mar meet renamed a few years ago to honor Hollywood icon Bing Crosby, it seems only fitting that a colt named Spielberg (Union Rags) would take his shot in the GIII Bob Hope S., the race formerly known as the Hollywood Prevue S. The $1-millon Keeneland September graduate should jump a warm favorite for the seven-furlong affair, a race won by his trainer Bob Baffert no fewer than six times in its last nine runnings and 10 times dating back to 1996. Runner-up on debut and...

American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile)'s trusty sidekick during his racing days, a pony named Smokey, will be offered at public auction Saturday, Dec. 5, in Fort Worth, TX. The buckskin Quarter Horse gained fame as he accompanied the Triple Crown winner to engagements around the country in 2015. Smokey was often photographed with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert or his assistant, Jimmy Barnes, in the saddle. Standing at just 14.3 hands, the now 11-year-old gelding will be sold by Twombly Performance Horses, a renowned ranch horse operation in the...

Baoma Corp released its stud fees for its roster of stallions--Chitu (Henny Hughes--Sea Gift, by A.P. Indy), Valiant Minister (Candy Ride {Arg}--Spooky Minister, by Deputy Minister) and Tunwoo (Medaglia d'Oro--Sea Gift, by A.P. Indy) for the 2021 season.  The stallions are residents of Bridlewood Farm in Ocala, Florida. Undefeated at two and a graded winner at three, Chitu retired with four wins from seven starts and earnings of $597,800. At stud, the sophomore stallion currently ranks third in the Florida sire earnings. The 9-year-old's fee has been reduced to $3,500...

Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic winner Authentic (Into MIschief--Flawless, by Mr. Greeley) has been retired to Spendthrift Farm, where he will stand for a fee of $75,000 S&N, the farm announced Monday morning, two days after his Classic win. He arrived at Spendthrift at around 10 a.m. Monday, led off the van by his trainer Bob Baffert, who proclaimed, "There he is. The best horse in America." "Authentic is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of horse, and Mr. Hughes is very proud that we are able to share him with 5,300-plus...

Three-time Grade I winner Bast (Uncle Mo--Laffina, by Arch) was a hot-ticket item on a superstar-laden Fasig-Tipton November 'Night of the Stars' Sunday. Selling in foal to Justify as hip 245 for consignor Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency, the Bob Baffert pupil hammered for $4.2 million to Spendthrift Farm, who made their fourth seven-figure mare purchase of the night. Annexing a trio of top-level events in the Del Mar Debutante S., Chandelier S. and Starlet S. at two, Bast started her 3-year-old campaign with a score in the GII Santa...