Bob Baffert

Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael B. Tabor's Plutarch (Into Mischief) has been ruled out of consideration for the GI Kentucky Derby, according to an updated Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard sent by Churchill Downs Wednesday. Trainer Bob Baffert confirmed to Daily Racing Form the colt emerged from his win in the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita Feb. 7 with body soreness and will remain in light training. Plutarch, a son of 2015 champion 3-year-old filly and 2017 $6-million Keeneland-topping mare Stellar Wind (Curlin), has...

SF Racing & Co. has named a precocious 2-year-old colt Hughes in honor of U.S. hockey star Jack Hughes and his memorable 2026 Winter Olympics performance. The colt, by Into Mischief out of K P Dreamin (Union Rags), is set to join the 2026 2-year-old division of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. Signed for $675,000 by Donato Lanni at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale last year, the colt was consigned by Blandford Stud on behalf of breeder Stonestreet. In announcing the name, SF Racing principal Tom Ryan cited Hughes's...

Another foaling year has begun and I truly have learned to go into each season with a "brace yourself" mentality as any long-term breeder realizes it is the only way you can keep your sanity year after year. This season, we continue to tackle the flock to the big-book first years and proven sires while breaking out the crystal ball to try to guess which of the bubble horses will succeed when their progeny hits the track. If any of you have ever participated in Geoffrey Russell's freshman sire contest,...

Greenwich Village (Quality Road) with Juan Hernandez aboard timed things just right to get his head down at the wire in a tight finish in Sunday's Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita. Sent off the 8-5 choice after a first-time turf score in the 6 1/2 furlong Baffle Stakes at this venue on Jan. 25, the bay exited post 2 in good order and soon set up camp in a ground-saving fourth as Medici (Into Mischief) led Brigante (More Than Ready) and Army Man (Battalion Runner) through an opening quarter in...

Several notable sophomores were out on track Saturday morning at Santa Anita Park, including Grade I winner Intrepido (Maximus Mischief) and fellow GIII Robert B. Lewis alumnus Secured Freedom (Practical Joke)--both of whom put in their first moves since the aforementioned race. The former finished closest to GISP Plutarch (Into Mischief) in the Lewis, that one claimed top prize by three-quarters of a length, and took a spin over the main track for trainer Jeff Mullins in an easy four-panel move. Clocked in :48.80 with jockey Hector Berrios in the...

Jill Baffert's Bottle of Rouge (Vino Rosso), the 2-5 favorite, survived a steward's inquiry to secure 20 qualifying points to the GI Kentucky Oaks with her victory in the Sunland Park Oaks Sunday evening in New Mexico. Winner of last year's GI Del Mar Debutante, Bouttle of Rouge was making her first start since finishing sixth in the Oct. 31 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar. The gray filly stalked the pace three wide as Cashed (I'll Have Another) took the field through fractions of :23.85 and :46.80....

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Darkness had long fallen over Riyadh but one star lit up the night sky as Forever Young (Real Steel) galloped into the history books as the first dual winner of the $20m G1 Saudi Cup. Last year he was forced to stalk Romantic Warrior all along the stretch for glory, but this time the tables were turned, with Nysos (Nyquist) locking sights on his prey in a determined effort to give Bob Baffert a longed-for victory in the world's richest race. Instead it once more went...

In the week leading up to the Saudi Cup meeting, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert lamented to anyone who would listen about just how taxing those final 100 meters at King Abdulaziz Racecourse can be on the equine athletes. And he's certainly got the right to take that position, given that the likes of Mucho Gusto and Charlatan couldn't quite see it out in the G1 Saudi Cup, while Havnameltdown was just tagged after a long stretch duel in the G3 Saudi Derby a few years back. Pinehurst did...

It's been three weeks since our last GI Kentucky Oaks Top 10, and a lot has happened. But no one stepped up with the type of explosive performance that would have shaken up the standings. We've dropped four horses from our original poll. Mythical (St. Patrick's Day) just wasn't good enough in the GIII Forward Gal Stakes. Tommy Jo (Into Mischief) has been injured and has been taken off the Oaks trail. Percy's Bar (Upstart) hasn't had a workout since Jan. 6, which doesn't bode well for her making the...

RIYADH, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA -- Bob Baffert may have won two Triple Crowns, six Kentucky Derbys, 21 Breeders' Cup races, and four Dubai World Cups but there is an itch that still needs to be scratched: the Saudi Cup. "We've gotten pretty close," he said Thursday morning from King Abdulaziz Racecourse, and he's not wrong. Baffert has been represented in five of the six runnings of the world's richest race and has finished second twice, with Charlatan (Speightstown) then Country Grammer (Tonalist). Last year was his sole omission, and...

Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures's Intrepido (Maximus Mischief), a game second in the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes Saturday at Santa Anita, could make his next start in the Mar. 7 GII San Felipe Stakes or could wait for the Apr. 4 GI Santa Anita Derby if he looks to have earned enough points to make the field for the GI Kentucky Derby without the extra start. "If we could have won [the Robert Lewis], then we could have coasted and wait for the Santa Anita Derby," trainer Jeff...

Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael B. Tabor's Plutarch (c, 3, Into Mischief--Stellar Wind, by Curlin) was bred to be a star--he is out of 2015's champion 3-year-old filly turned $6-million Keeneland-topping mare Stellar Wind--and he made good on that promise Saturday in the $101,000 GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita. The race was worth 20-10-6-4-2 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert won his eighth consecutive Bob Lewis and 14th overall, going back to 1999. In 2007, the race,...