Bob Baffert

No matter whether it is April or October, if it's Keeneland, then you know a Wesley Ward 2-year-old who sets sail for a maiden voyage has a chance to sparkle. Royal Slipper (Uncle Mo) certainly did that on opening day Friday afternoon when the juvenile filly won impressively as a newly-minted 'TDN Rising Star'. Breaking along the fence, Royal Slipper shot to the lead and quickly opened up a distinct advantage up the backstretch. As fellow firster Loveland (Munnings) gave chase into the far turn, the Ward trainee continued to...

When the GI American Pharoah S. even-money morning-line favorite and 'TDN Rising Star' Muth (Good Magic) brought a sale-topping $2 million at OBS March earlier this year, it wasn't exactly a surprise to see Saudi businessman Amr Zedan and Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert heading back to the Top Line Sales consignment for more. Fellow Top Line graduate and Zedan Racing Stables Inc. colorbearer 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) will line up next as one of the favorites in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic after posting a...

To see Adare Manor (f, 4, Uncle Mo--Brooklynsway, by Giant Gizmo) gallop out after Santa Anita's GII Zenyatta S. was to see a filly who looked like she was pretty proud of herself. Indeed, she should have been. The Zenyatta was Adare Manor's fifth straight win, as well as fourth consecutive graded win, and she took this one in the most facile manner possible, eased up as she cruised under the line a 5 1/4-length victress. Clearly the class of the field as the 1-9 favorite, Adare Manor ran like...

Paul Reddam's Slow Down Andy (Nyquist) assumed command of Saturday's GI Awesome Again S. from the opening bell and made every pole a winning one, earning a fees-paid berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Classic over an extra eighth of a mile of the Santa Anita main track on Nov. 4. "I was kind of surprised, I thought everyone would try to go," Reddam said. "The track has been pretty speed favoring all day and he just broke so smoothly that he was on top in three jumps and that...

In a battle of raw speed, Dr. Schivel (Violence) proved to be too much to beat as he outlasted a returning Speed Boat Beach (Bayern) to take the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship S. Last seen running a close-up third in the GI Bing Crosby S. at Del Mar over the summer, Dr. Schivel had plenty of back class to call on here: third last year at Meydan in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen for his only start of the season, second to Aloha West (Hard Spun) in the 2021...

Talk about keeping good company. Kirstenbosch (Midnight Lute), a 4-year-old making her 17th lifetime start for trainer John Sadler, has not raced out of graded-stakes company since her third-place finish in the GI La Brea S. Dec. 26. Perhaps more impressively, she's been on the board in all but three of the eight starts since that post-Christmas trifecta. And though absent of the winner's circle since victory in the GIII La Canada S. Jan. 15, Kirstenbosch has run second or third to GISW Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) and a pair...

Santa Anita kicks off its Autumn meet in style this weekend, highlighted by eight graded stakes, including Saturday's GI Awesome Again S., a Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' for the Nov. 4 Classic. As is his custom, trainer Bob Baffert is armed with a slew of Classic prospects, however, he confirmed last week that one of the early Classic favorites--GI Pacific Classic scorer Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo)--would bypass this local Breeders' Cup Classic prep. Also missing this weekend's lineup, GI Haskell Invitational winner Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg})...

Trainer Bob Baffert has sued well-known Twitter (now known as X) posters Justin Wunderler and Daniel DiCorcia for defamation and extortion over frequent posts on the social media website, which Baffert's lawyers contend amounted to "a series of escalating threats and criminal conduct," adding that the defendants "have urged others to engage in violent behavior toward Baffert and his family, baselessly accused Baffert of criminal conduct, and attempted to extort Baffert and his family under threats to his business, reputation, and occupational license." The suit goes on to allege that...

Several top horses trained by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert were among 174 workers at Santa Anita Monday morning. Among those working four furlongs for Baffert on the main track were GISWs Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) (:46.40), Arabian Lion (Justify) (:46.80), Faiza (Girvin) (:49.20) and National Treasure (Quality Road) (:48.20). GI Starlet S. winner Faiza's drill was her first since being scratched from the Torrey Pines S. on Sept. 2 at Del Mar. National Treasure, winner of this season's GI Preakness S., had his second work since finishing fifth...

Canigetaloan (Leofric) had to lay it all down, but gamely managed to fight off a familiar foe in a wild finish to break his maiden, score his first black-type victory in the Aspirant S., and tally the first stakes winner for his freshman sire (by Candy Ride {Arg}) all at once. Debuting in the same Aug. 11 state-bred maiden at Saratoga as Trust Fund (Practical Joke), who would go on to win by 2 1/4 lengths, Canigetaloan came out on the better end of the photo for second and would...

The afternoon's graded stakes action at Parx kicked off most appropriately with the flashy grey Next (Not This Time) annexing the GIII Greenwood Cup S. and it didn't take long for the grey train to continue with Nobody Listen (Conveyance) taking the GIII Turf Monster S. With the remnants of Tropical storm Ophelia cranking, keeping the sky dark and the track murky, Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming) completed the grey graded trifecta in the day's feature, the GI Pennsylvania Derby. Employing the same tactics used successfully earlier in the program over...

For the connections of 11 3-year-olds, the GI Pennsylvania Derby at Parx on Saturday represents a last-ditch effort to pick up an elusive Derby win and while it's not the Derby win most started out the year in search of, the $1 million purse, Grade I status and strong history of past winners makes it a coveted race to win nonetheless. Since Hall of Famer Woody Stephens trained Smarten (Cyane) to earn the inaugural Pennsylvania Derby trophy in 1979, a number of good 3-year-olds have also emerged from the nine-furlong...