By T. D. Thornton
Barnes (Into Mischief), an unraced 2-year-old colt who sold for $3.2 million as a FTSAUG yearling in 2023, has been entered by trainer Bob Baffert and owner Zedan Racing Stables in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight sprint at Churchill Downs next Wednesday.
The start will be Baffert's first at the Louisville track since Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) on July 19, 2024, announced the lifting of a corporation-imposed three-year suspension that had kept the Hall-of-Fame trainer from racing in the GI Kentucky Derby and at any of CDI's tracks nationwide.
CDI had ruled off Baffert in June 2021 because of a string of drug positives in horses Baffert trained, including two in CDI's most prominent races, the 2020 GI Kentucky Oaks and the 2021 Derby. The colt who tested positive for an overage of betamethasone in the 2021 Derby, Medina Spirit, was owned by Zedan.
According to Churchill's Nov. 20 media notes, Barnes is named in honor of Baffert's longtime assistant, Jimmy Barnes.
“Break will be important being inside in the 3 hole,” Baffert told TDN via text message, adding that, “5 1/2 little short but it's a good starting point.
“Distance will be his friend,” Baffert continued. “He has a great mind and a beautifully made horse. Exciting to see how he handles the ship and run first time out.”
Nooni | Benoit
Barnes is expected to ship to Kentucky Nov. 21 along with stablemate and 'TDN Rising Star' Nooni (Win Win Win), who most recently ran sixth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.
Race 7 on Nov. 27 drew a field of 11 and will go at 3:55 p.m. Eastern.
Jockey Martin Garcia is named to ride.
Barnes worked a half-mile “handily” at Santa Anita on Wednesday in :48.60 (9/12).
The first foal out of the unplaced mare All American Dream (American Pharoah), Barnes was bred in Kentucky by Jeff Drown and Don Rachel.
As TDN reported at the time of the auction, the colt, consigned by Indian Creek, sold as hip 228 in the waning moments of his sale session with the ticket officially being signed by Donato Lanni as an agent for Zedan Racing.
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