Bob Baffert

Trainer Bob Baffert had a two-strong chance to earn a record-extending 10th win in Saturday's GII San Felipe Stakes. His best shot looked to be with the 4-5 favorite and 'TDN Rising Star' Brant (Gun Runner) who was making his first start back since running third to Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar last November. But it was his other runner, 8-1 shot and $2.4-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale graduate Potente (Into Mischief) who secured the win and 50 Kentucky Derby points for the...

CSLR Racing Partners, LLC's Crude Velocity (c, 3, Beau Liam--Sweetnsour Kitty, by Lemon Drop Kid) overcame a nightmare journey to become the first 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' for his young sire. One of three entered by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert and overlooked at generous debut odds of 10-1, he was off to a slow start from his rail draw and trailed the field of nine shortly after the break. He rushed up beneath Florent Geroux and was under a tight hold racing in traffic just behind the...

Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Splendora (Audible) picked up her second Grade I Saturday, easily taking down the GI B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile at Santa Anita for Bob Baffert. Saturday's win, the mare's fifth straight in a streak that began back at Del Mar last summer, was her second of her year after she returned victorious in the emotionally-poignant seven-furlong GII D. Wayne Lukas Stakes Feb. 7. Having shown the ability to be versatile in her wins, the 1-9 favorite needed no help in...

Spendthrift Farm's 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard' Further Ado (Gun Runner), a smashing 20-length maiden winner at Keeneland last fall and workmanlike winner of the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. at Churchill Downs Nov. 29, launches his 3-year-old campaign in Saturday's GIII Esmark Tampa Bay Derby. The $275,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $550,000 OBS April breezer has posted six workouts at trainer Brad Cox's Payson Park base for his return, including a bullet five furlongs in 1:01 (1/28) Feb. 21. Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the call from post...

2nd-TAM, $60k, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 12:45 p.m. ET ACE FROM SPACE (Into Mischief) brings both an imposing pedigree and worktab into this career debut. The Stonestreet homebred is the latest runner out of the SW & GSP Glinda the Good (Hard Spun), whose four winners includes dual Grade I-winning champion and leading sire Good Magic (Curlin). Glinda the Good is herself a half-sister to GSW and stakes-producing Take the Ribbon (Chester House) and SW & GSPs Flash Forward (Curlin) and Flash Mash (Smarty Jones). Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the call...

Last Sunday's GII Rebel Stakes third-place finisher Litmus Test (Nyquist) will stay in Hot Springs to contest the GI Arkansas Derby March 28 for trainer Bob Baffert. Speaking of his Arkansas runners from last weekend, Baffert said that while his GIII Honeybee Stakes winner Explora (Blame) had shipped back to California, Litmus Test would remain at Oaklawn through the end of the month. "I didn't want to bring him all the way back here and ship him back," Baffert said. "He's there. I want to give him another chance. I...

This week, five 3-year-old colts made the rankings, topped by a new Derby contender that few saw coming. 5-ALBUS, TAM, 2/27, 1 mile 40 yards (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-83 (c, 3, by Yaupon--Adream, by Bernardini) O-Pin Oak Stud. B- Susan Casner (Ky). T-Riley Mott. J-Sammy Camacho. As the debate ensued last week about Solitude Dude's chances around two turns in Saturday's Fountain of Youth (he did fine), another Yaupon colt made his two-turn debut Friday at Tampa--and Albus kicked clear to a decisive 6 3/4 length victory. Based on his...

by Christina Bossinakis & Patrycja Szpyra Cherokee Nation (Not This Time) took six starts to break his maiden, but he'd been facing quality rivals in the lead up to his graduation party last Friday. Now, his connections report that elite contests are in the colt's future with their eyes specifically turned toward the GI Santa Anita Derby. "When the kids go to school, they have fancy Friday and [last] Friday was a fancy Friday for us," said co-owner Tom Ryan. "We're typically looking at Saturday afternoon, but we were very...

HOT SPRINGS, Ark.--A strong tradition for any Kentucky Derby hopeful along the campaign trail to May is passing the two turn test. With distance in mind, owners and trainers are looking for their nominees to stretch their legs, embrace the debate that comes in the form of traffic and find ways to grind out a hard-earned victory. At Oaklawn Park in the GII Rebel Stakes on Sunday, WinStar, First Go Racing and CHC Inc. owned colt Class President (Uncle Mo--Top Quality, by Quality Road) proved best at the wire as...

So Happy (Runhappy), Brant (Gun Runner) and Potente (Into Mischief) all worked Sunday in preparation for expected starts in the Mar. 7 GII San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita. So Happy, winner of the GII San Vicente Stakes going seven furlongs Jan. 10, blazed four furlongs in :46.8 for trainer Mark Glatt. Hall of Famer Mike Smith was aboard for the work. "Dynamite," Smith said. "He's never been a flashy work horse in the morning, a bit lazy actually, but this was one of his best works if not the...

Coolmore and partners have acquired an interest in 'TDN Rising Star Presented by Hagyard' and GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Nysos (Nyquist). Upon his retirement from racing, the colt will stand at Ashford Stud in 2027, the farm announced Friday. A no-brainer 'Rising Star' in his 10 1/2-length Santa Anita romp in October 2023, Nysos then picked up two straight graded stakes wins before enduring a significant break in training from Feb. 2024 through to May 2025. He returned in a thrilling edition of the GI Churchill Downs Stakes...

When a field of 10 enters the starting gate for Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, they'll sure have some big shoes to fill. Twelve months ago, Sovereignty (Into Mischief) embarked on what would become a Horse of the Year campaign with a narrow victory in his seasonal debut and a little more than two months later, joined Spectacular Bid (1979), Thunder Gulch (1995) and Orb (2013) as horses to add the GI Kentucky Derby in the last half-century. Horses such as Union Rags (2012) and...