Bob Baffert

Admitting that the charges that trainer Jason Servis drugged Maximum Security (New Year's Day) threaten the integrity of Thoroughbred racing, his owner, Gary West, has announced that he has hired veterinarian Dr. Larry Bramlage to examine the horse "from hoof to tail." When asked by the TDN in a follow-up email that if further testing revealed that Maximum Security had illegal drugs in his systems in any races if he would advocate that the horse be disqualified, he replied: "I am not an authority on medications and SGF-1000 (the drug...

6th-Santa Anita, $57,000, Alw (NW1$X), Opt. Clm ($80,000), 3-14, 3yo, 1m, 1:36.24, ft. CHARLATAN (c, 3, Speightstown--Authenticity {MGSW & MGISP, $883,362}, by Quiet American) made 30 cents on the dollar seem like Christmas in March and is on to bigger and better things following a thoroughly convincing 10 1/4-length allowance victory Saturday afternoon at Santa Anita. Quickly into stride from the outside gate in a scratched-down field of five just minutes after stablemate and fellow 'Rising Star' Nadal (Blame) stamped his authority on the GII Rebel S., Charlatan looked to...

'TDN Rising Star' Nadal (Blame) made it a perfect three-for-three digging down gamely to deliver as the 4-5 favorite in wire-to-wire fashion in Saturday's $1-million GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Park. Removing blinkers for this first two-turn test, the rail-drawn bay was hustled to the front by Joel Rosario and was immediately hounded by unbeaten Louisiana-bred No Parole (Violence) and the returning GI American Pharoah S. runner-up American Theorem (American Pharoah) rounding the clubhouse turn. No Parole backed off, but the two California invaders continued to throw down through sharp...

Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN's Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins. DeRosa - Last Week's Results - Honor A. P. (+200) was second-best in the San Felipe. Necker Island (Gotham) and Letmeno (Tampa Bay Derby) failed to fire. Bankroll: $1395. GII Rebel S. - The Rebel is as compelling...

On a day when the Washington Post's editorial board came out in support of the end of horse racing, Bob Baffert has written his own op/ed in the Post in support of the Horseracing Integrity Act (HIA). "Horse racing is experiencing the most profound crisis in the long history of the sport. To emerge stronger, we must act decisively to protect the horses who are the stars of the show; nothing else will restore the confidence of fans, gamblers and the general public. And that means federal action." The piece...

Bob Baffert sends out so many impressive 3-year-olds this time of year, it seems like some become forgotten as soon as the next one does something special. After the dazzling performances of Baffert trainees Authentic (Into Mischief) and Charlatan (Speightstown) in recent weeks, that forgotten horse may be the barn's unbeaten Nadal (Blame). Saturday, the $700,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream buy will look to match his talented stablemates as a likely favorite while making his two-turn debut in the $1-million GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn. Debuting as a 6-5 favorite Jan. 19...

War Emblem (Our Emblem-Sweetest Lady, by Lord at War), winner of the 2002 GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. died early Wednesday morning at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, Kentucky. Pensioned at Old Friends since 2015, he was 21. While the cause of death is thought to be the result of a paddock accident, exact details are unknown. However, results from a necropsy report are expected to be forthcoming. In 2015 Old Friends re-repatriated War Emblem from the Yoshida family's Shadai Stallion Farm in Japan. He was...

Maximum Security (New Year's Day) will be taken away from Jason Servis and turned over to Bob Baffert, owner Gary West said in a statement released early Tuesday. West said that all the horses he has under Servis's care will be moved to new trainers. Servis is among 27 individuals who were indicted Monday by the District Attorney for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, as part of a wide-ranging investigation into doping. Servis and trainer Jorge Navarro were the two most notable names involved in the probe....

During his baseball career, Victor Martinez was known for being cool under pressure and good in the clutch. It appears that he has a horse with the same attributes. It looks like the presence of a former Major League All-Star is going to spice up this year's GI Kentucky Derby. Martinez, who debuted in the majors in 2002 with the Cleveland Indians, played a season-and-a-half for the Boston Red Sox, and retired after playing for the Detroit Tigers in 2018, is the owner of GII Tampa Bay Derby winner King...

Flashy Authentic (Into Mischief) emerged from Saturday's GII San Felipe S. as the still-unbeaten Bob Baffert trainee with a stylish performance as part of another big day for his superstar sire. Well-regarded Honor A. P. (Honor Code) and champion 2-year-old Storm the Court (Court Vision) were second and third, respectively, while Authentic's stablemate Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) came under a ride early and checked in fourth. Into Mischief was also responsible for Saturday's GIII Gotham S. winner Mischievious Alex at Aqueduct, and an exciting 'TDN Rising Star' in the...

The highly regarded Gamine (f, 3, Into Mischief-Peggy Jane, by Kafwain) lived up to the hype in her much-anticipated unveiling for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert at Santa Anita Saturday, easily good enough for 'TDN Rising Star' honors. Gamine breezed four furlongs in :46 2/5 (3/43) at Santa Anita Mar. 2 (XBTV Video), and was pounded into 1-9 favoritism for this debut run. She broke like a shot over her three overmatched rivals, led through fractions of :22.42 and :46.17, cornered for home in complete command, and was never seriously...

Flashy 'TDN Rising Star' Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo) makes her sophomore debut in Sunday's GIII Santa Ysabel S. in Arcadia. The $800,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream grad crushed her competition by 9 1/4 lengths first out sprinting here Sept. 28, and her connections immediately tested deeper waters in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 1. Favored in that track-and-trip event, she was a neck second to eventual champion British Idiom (Flashback), and one slot ahead of Bast (Uncle Mo), who came back to upset Donna Veloce in the GI Starlet S....