Bob Baffert
Even Richard Wagner would have struggled to make anything of this particular "ring cycle". In four starts, Eight Rings (Empire Maker) has so far abruptly alternated the full works--strings, horns, kettle drums--with a timid clink of the triangle. As such, he certainly can't afford to break the cycle when surfacing for the first time since his Breeders' Cup bust in the Bachelor S. at Oaklawn Saturday. Dropping in grade and distance, in fact, he needs to produce the dominant sophomore performance of a day that also features a new stakes...
HANNAH MATHIESEN, OAKMONT HORSE CLUB Favorite: My favorite racehorse of all time is definitely American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile). He was running when I was first getting involved in racing, and I followed him closely since he ran early in his career at my home track, Del Mar. One day, a family friend who writes for the local newspaper said she was going to interview Bob Baffert, and asked if I wanted to come along to be her photographer. Having only been to the backside a handful of times and...
Grade I-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Eight Rings (Empire Maker) makes his seasonal bow Saturday in Oaklawn's Bachelor S. An impressive debut winner at Del Mar Aug. 4, the $520,000 KEESEP buy ducked in sharply at the start of the GI Del Mar Futurity S. Sept. 2, bumping his neighbor and losing his rider. The dark bay returned with a decisive score in the GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita Sept. 27 and could only manage sixth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile in Arcadia when last seen Nov. 1....
Three stakes races--including a pair of graded events--highlight the Summer Thoroughbred Festival at Los Alamitos. The two-week meet will begin Friday, June 26 and continue through Sunday, July 5. The richest event on the calendar is the $200,000 GII Great Lady M. S. for fillies & mares at 6 1/2 furlongs July 4. Marley's Freedom (Blame) has won the Great Lady M the past two years. The other graded race is the $100,000 GIII Los Alamitos Derby, which will also be held July 4. Hall of Famer Bob Baffert has...
Last year's champion juvenile colt Storm the Court (Court Vision) is on target for the May 2 GI Arkansas Derby following a five-furlong work in 1:13.60 (3/3) at Santa Anita Monday, trainer Peter Eurton confirmed. Eurton also plans to enter Shooters Shoot (Competitive Edge), winner of a one-mile allowance at Oaklawn Apr. 11, for the nine-furlong race. "Very pleased with his work," Eurton said of Storm the Court. "Very pleased with Shooters Shoot. I know it's going to be tough on both ends with Bob [Baffert]'s two horses, but we're...
10th-Oaklawn, $60,000, Msw, 4-19, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:09.96, sy. MERNEITH (f, 3, American Pharoah--Flattermewithroses {SW}, by Flatter) With American Pharoah and Cairo Prince around, one would naturally expect Egyptian choices to be popular in the naming of horses, but the name of Oaklawn winner MERNEITH is really outstanding and fitting. She is a filly by American Pharoah and, "Merneith may have been the first female pharaoh and the earliest queen regnant in recorded history", according to Wikipedia. Please note the slight difference in the spelling of the designation of the...
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 8th-GP, $46K, Alw/OC ($75K), N1X, 3yo, 1mT, 4:25 ET ERJ Racing and Gary Barber's PATROL (Liam's Map) takes on an experienced group of foes as he looks to remain unbeaten in his turf debut Sunday. A $190,000 KEESEP yearling, he was the second-priciest juvenile to sell at Keeneland April last term at $360,000 off a co-quickest furlong breeze in :10 flat. Turned over to Mark Casse, he made a successful debut sprinting at Aqueduct Feb. 15. He has a right to handle the surface switch...
After suffering the first loss of his young career last time, Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) will try to get back in the winner's circle Saturday in the inaugural Oaklawn S. The $1-million KEESEP buy opened his account with a trio of victories, including the GII Los Alamitos Futurity S. Dec. 7 and the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. Feb. 1. The bay suffered his first loss at the hooves of his stablemate Authentic (Into Mischief) last time in the GII San Felipe S. Mar. 7. Steve Asmussen sends out...
GMB Racing's Tom's d'Etat (Smart Strike) closed out 2019 with a pair of decisive scores and looks to continue that winning skein in 2020 in the Oaklawn Mile. Capturing Saratoga's Alydar S. In August, the bay was fourth in the GI Woodward S. later that month. Returning to winning ways with a 4 1/4-length score in Keeneland's GII Fayette S. Oct. 26, he scored his first victory at the highest level in the GI Clark S. at Churchill Downs Nov. 29. Mr. Money (Goldencents), on the other hand, looks to register...
Courtesy Oaklawn Barn Notes Bob Baffert has had to hit the reset button in pursuit of his record-tying sixth GI Kentucky Derby victory. Fortunately for the Hall of Fame trainer, he still has the same buttons to push. The first comes Saturday afternoon at Oaklawn when he sends out 5-2 program favorite Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) in the $200,000 Oaklawn S. for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles. Thousand Words, a $1-million Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, is among four highly regarded Kentucky Derby prospects for the Southern California-based Baffert,...
Grade I winner Dream Tree (Uncle Mo--Afleet Maggi, by Afleet Alex) is carrying her first foal by Curlin. Owned by Phoenix Thoroughbreds and trained by Bob Baffert, the $750,000 FTFMAR buy won five of seven races for earnings of $529,845. Her career highlights include wins in the 2017 GI Starlet S. and 2018 GII Las Virgenes S. and GII Prioress S. "Dream Tree has been a special horse for us," said Phoenix Thoroughbreds head of US operations Tom Ludt. "She had a great will to win and was a true...
3rd-SA, $55K, Msw, 3yo/up, 5 1/2fT, 5:05 p.m. ET Well-regarded first-time starters from the Bob Baffert and John Sadler barns highlight this turf sprint early on Friday's card at Santa Anita. J Z MY MAN (American Pharoah) commanded $410,000 at Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream last spring following a :10 3/5 furlong breeze and has backed up that pricetag in the mornings for Baffert, showing a steady series of sharp works going back to late December capped by a best-of-219 bullet half in :47 3/5 Mar. 16 at Santa Anita. His dam, four-time...