Bob Baffert

On Thursday at Santa Anita, one of the leading GI Kentucky Derby prospects, Journalism (Curlin), worked for the first time since he got his picture taken in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 14. Out of graded-stakes winner Mopotism (Uncle Mo), the 3-year-old colt drilled a half mile in :49.80 seconds for trainer Michael McCarthy. In pool three of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager last weekend, Journalism closed at odds of 20-1 to win this year's 'Run for the Roses.' Journalism rolled to a 3 1/2-length victory under Umberto Rispoli...

8th-SA, 60K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f, 7:07 p.m. A pair of Bob Baffert-trained stablemates drew side by side in their Santa Anita debuts. BRILLIANTLY (Uncle Mo), the outside runner of the two, cost the partnership of Pegram, Watson and Weitman $500,000 as a yearling at Keeneland in 2023. She is the second foal out of a stakes-placed Bernardini first dam from the family of Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Leigh Court (Grand Slam). Inside of her, Maysam (Game Winner), from an American Pharoah first dam, put in a quick furlong...

MGSW Blueskiesnrainbows (English Channel) at the age of 16-year-old passed away due to complications from colic last week, Marcinda Mitchell, DVM from Sunlight Farm and Bad Boy Racing said in a Thursday press release. Blueskiesnrainbows was campaigned by Bad Boy Racing (Kelly Mitchell) and Whizway Farms (Stan Whisenant). During his racing career he was conditioned by Hall of Famers Bob Baffert and Jerry Hollendorfer. According to Equibase, Blueskiesnrainbows made 28 starts, got his picture snapped seven times and took home $672,552 in earnings. His wins on dirt at Southern California...

Being the least experienced of the field ultimately proved to be no problem for Cavalieri (Nyquist) as she gamely turned away all challengers to claim the GIII La Canada Stakes. A winner by two lengths on debut Aug. 29 at Del Mar last year, she took a field of optional claimers gate to wire Oct. 12 at Santa Anita by 3 1/2 lengths before going on the shelf until this 4-year-old bow. Sent off here as the even-money favorite, she contested the pace issue with MGSW Chatalas (Gun Runner) through...

A light work tab Thursday included the return of Grade I winner Speed Boat Beach (Bayern) for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. The dark bay, who was last seen winning the 2023 edition of the GI Malibu at Santa Anita, drilled three furlongs on the main track in :36.40 seconds (1/4). It was his first work since Sept. 21. Owned by Michael Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman--the so-called 'Three Amigos'--Speed Boat Beach has four wins over seven starts and $498,000 in earnings. The Baffert trainee was a two-time...

He is 22 months into a two-year contract to train privately in Saudi Arabia for Prince Faisal bin Khalid Al Saud, a move that rejuvenated his career, but Jimmy Jerkens said he is ready to come home. Jerkens told the TDN that when his contract expires in March he will return to U.S. and resume his career at the NYRA tracks. It's not that Jerkens hasn't done well in Saudi Arabia. He's had 21 winners during his time there. And it's not that he doesn't have any quality horses. "We've...

In racing circles, trainer Jose D'Angelo might not yet be a "household name," but that's not going to last much longer. In this country for about five years, the native of Venezuela is coming off a stellar 2024 in which he won 140 races, including his first Grade I with Howard Wolowitz (Munnings) in the Aristocrat Franklin-Simpson Stakes. And it looks like 2025 might be even better. He has a stable full of potential stars that includes 'TDN Rising Star' Guns Loaded (Gun Runner), the winner of last Saturday's Mucho...

Wildfires propelled by unusually strong Santa Ana winds swept across Los Angeles Tuesday and into the night, breaking out near several densely populated neighborhoods including Altadena, Pasadena and portions of the San Gabriel Mountains that serve as a backdrop to Santa Anita Park. According to Cal Fire, that particular fire--coined the Eaton Fire--had spread to more than 10,600 acres by Noon Wednesday. Los Angeles woke Wednesday morning to apocalyptic images. Thousands have fled their homes. Large swaths have lost power. At least five people have reportedly died thus far. Winds...

Three years ago, John Sikura was blown away by how breeders responded to Hill 'n' Dale's new sire Charlatan, a multiple Grade I-winning son of Speightstown who bred 222 mares in his debut season. Sikura didn't expected to see demand quite like that again anytime soon, but he admits that he has been proven wrong since another Grade I-winning 'TDN Rising Star' recently arrived at Hill 'n' Dale. Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo-Borealis Night, by Astrology), winner of the 2023 GI Pacific Classic Stakes, will stand for $30,000 in his debut...

Look Forward (Bolt d'Oro) was a nice first-out winner for the late Ben Cecil at Del Mar when she took she took her competition gate to wire while posting an 82 Beyer Speed Figure Nov. 8. Transferred to Michael McCarthy's care, she was then tested for class in the GII Starlet Stakes, stretching out to 1 1/16 miles at Los Alamitos Dec. 7. She dueled late into the race with GISW and eventual winner Tenma (Nyquist) and just yielded close to home when second by 1 3/4 lengths. Cutting back...

Trainer Bob Baffert began mapped out plans for a quartet of the stable's winners at Santa Anita last weekend, including the highly-regarded 3-year-olds Barnes (Into Mischief) and Rodriguez (Authentic), in addition to older horse Mirahmadi (Into Mischief) and Chilean champion juvenile filly Richi (Chi) (Practical Joke). A $3.2-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase, Barnes took the GII San Vicente, while Rodriguez ran away with a TDN Rising Star-earning performance going a mile. Mirahmadi annexed an eight-furlong optional claimer and Richi recorded her first stateside victory in the six-panel GIII Las Flores Stakes....

The bandwagon for Barnes was already pretty crowded heading into Saturday's GII San Vicente S. at Santa Anita. It now may be next to impossible to find a standing-room-only spot after the Bob Baffert-trained son of Into Mischief uncorked a crusher of a performance that left four rivals reeling in his 5 ½-length wake. I have no idea if the two sprint victories at the root of this $3.2 million FTSAUG colt's foundation will blossom into a blanket of roses on the first Saturday in May. I am pretty certain,...