Bob Baffert
Living up to both his price tag and his recent workouts, Prince of Monaco (Speightstown--Rainier by Medaglia d'Oro) earned 'TDN Rising Star' billing as the 2-year-old poured on the speed at Los Alamitos on Sunday afternoon en route to a maiden-breaking victory for trainer Bob Baffert. Off at 1-20 for this debut, the $950,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select graduate broke a touch awkwardly from his wide draw in this compact field, but soon seized the lead heading into the far turn. Opening up at the top of the lane, the dark...
Reincarnate (c, 3, Good Magic--Allanah, by Scat Daddy), 13th for trainer Tim Yakteen after racing on a scorching early pace in the GI Kentucky Derby, returned to the Bob Baffert barn with a stylish 2 1/2-length win in Saturday evening's $125,000 Los Alamitos Derby. The even-money favorite showed the way through early fractions of :23.33 and :47.75. Racing under pressure heading into the far turn, he leveled off nicely into the stretch and was never seriously threatened by last out GI Santa Anita Derby third-place finisher and second-choice Skinner (Curlin)....
2nd-LRC, $45K, Msw, 2yo, 5f, 4:33 p.m. Facing a field of entirely first-time starters, PRINCE OF MONACO (Speightstown) drew the enviable outside gate for his afternoon debut for trainer Bob Baffert and the prolific ownership group known as the 'Avengers'. Purchased for a coll $950,000 as a yearling out of last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Sale, the dark bay colt is out of Medaglia d'Oro mare Rainier, herself a half to MSW/MGSP Laurie's Rocket (Bluegrass Cat) and to the dam of MSW/GSP Necker Island (Hard Spun). This is also the...
With the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) issuing provisional suspensions in what seems like a rapid-fire manner, attorney Alan Pincus has been busy. He is representing trainer Mario Dominguez, who was hit with a provisional suspension after a horse he trained allegedly tested positive for cobalt, and has worked with trainer Jonathan Wong on his case. A Wong-trained horse allegedly tested positive for the banned substance Metformin. Pincus joined the TDN Writers' Room podcast sponsored by Keeneland to discuss his cases and to express his views on what has...
With the Churchill Downs spring meet, which was moved over to Ellis Park, winding down, it appeared that Bob Baffert would soon be able to put the worst of his problems behind him. Baffert was serving a two-year suspension from Churchill Downs that came in the aftermath of Medina Spirit (Protonico) testing positive for a substance banned on race day after crossing the wire first in the 2021 GI Kentucky Derby. The suspension forced Baffert to sit out the 2022 and 2023 runnings of the Derby, the race that is...
Churchill Downs Incorporated is extending the suspension of Bob Baffert through calendar year 2024 based on what Churchill Downs called "continued concerns regarding the threat to the safety and integrity of racing he poses to CDI-owned racetracks." Churchill released the following statement: "Mr. Baffert continues to peddle a false narrative concerning the failed drug test of Medina Spirit at the 147th Kentucky Derby from which his horse was disqualified by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission in accordance with Kentucky law and regulations. Prior to that race, Mr. Baffert signed an agreement...
Making just her second start in the last 16 months, Bob Baffert's Eda (Munnings) looks to keep her winning streak rolling in Tuesday's GII Great Lady M S. Los Alamitos Race Course plays host to the $550,000 OBS March grad who enters having won her last five straight dating back to Oct. 2021 for owner Baoma Corp. Already a Grade I winner over this track with her victory in 2021's GI Starlet S., Eda went to the sidelines off a gate-to-wire score in the GIII Santa Ysabel in her next...
Fort Bragg (c, 3, Tapit--March X Press, by Shanghai Bobby), scratched from last month's GI Woody Stephens S. after spiking a fever, narrowly outslugged the previously unbeaten Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming) to gamely capture Saturday's GIII Dwyer S. at Belmont Park. Adding blinkers for this, the 3-5 favorite traveled smartly in third as Saudi Crown showed the way through an opening quarter in :22.47. Up a spot into second through an eye-opening half mile in :44.63, Fort Bragg loomed boldly on the outside as the two hit the quarter pole...
7th-LRC, $45K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 7:05 p.m. Trainer John Sadler debuts LEVON (Practical Joke) for Talla Racing and Central Dispatch (Arrogate) for Hronis Racing. The stablemates both worked a bullet five furlongs from the gate in :59 1/5 (1/12) at Los Alamitos June 10. The former is a $750,000 KEESEP buy whose dam Gal Factor (The Factor) counts GI Arkansas Derby hero Super Stock (Dialed In) as a half brother. Trainer Bob Baffert will saddle first-time starter Confucius (Candy Ride {Arg}) whose dam Mumtaazah (Tapit) is a half-sister to...
Muth (c, 2, Good Magic--Hoppa, Uncle Mo), a $2 million purchase back in March at OBS, certainly lived up to expectations Sunday afternoon at The Great Race Place as he won convincingly in his debut at odds of 1-5 and stamped himself as a newly-minted 'TDN Rising Star' for his efforts. After settling down in the gate, the bay colt briefly broke outward, but flashed some strong early foot to seize the lead up the backstretch. Immediately distancing himself from the rest of the field, the Bob Baffert trainee poured...
2nd-SA, $61K, Msw, 2yo, 5f, 3:30 p.m. When the hammer fell at OBS back in March, MUTH (Good Magic) was not only the session topper, but the 2-year-old tied the sale record with a final price of $2 million. Purchased by Amr Zedan and trained by Bob Baffert, the bay colt breezed during the under tack show by going 1/8 in :9 3/5. Muth debuts for these connections from the outside post with Juan Hernandez aboard. TJCIS PPS 1st-BEL, $90K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5f, 1:05 p.m. On Belmont's Sunday card,...
Both 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Lion (Justify), winner of the GI Woody Stephens S. and National Treasure (Quality Road), the GI Preakness winner who faded to sixth after setting the pace in the GI Belmont S., were back at Santa Anita and doing well after competing on last Saturday's Belmont Stakes card at Belmont Park according to trainer Bob Baffert. Prospective next starts have not been named for either runner.