Bob Baffert

The New Jersey-based lawsuit in which a group of bettors are alleging they were cheated out of their property by Bob Baffert when his betamethasone-positive trainee, Medina Spirit, crossed the finish wire first in the 2021 GI Kentucky Derby and purportedly prevented the plaintiffs from cashing winning tickets on the runner-up is on the cusp of being transferred back to a federal court in California where it was first initiated 2 1/2 years ago. In a Dec. 22 filing in United States District Court (District of New Jersey), the judge...

Favored Speed Boat Beach (Bayern) led home a one-two finish for Bob Baffert in the GI Malibu S. at Santa Anita Tuesday, putting away stablemate Hejazi (Bernardini) down the lane to give the trainer his record-tying sixth win in the race--and third in the last four years--and longtime owners Mike Pegram, Paul Weitman and Karl Watson their first victory in the Arcadia track's traditional opening-day feature. "Turning for home I knew I was going to win it," Baffert said. "I wasn't sure which one it was going to be, I...

Boxing Day is not a holiday observed on the American calendar--thanks, Revolutionary generation. However, the day after Christmas is circled in red by the horse racing cadre because it means one thing: Opening Day at Santa Anita Park. This Tuesday, an 11-race card kicks off at 2 p.m. ET under the picturesque San Gabriel mountains in Arcadia, California--six of which are graded stakes. To entice the horseplayer, the Classic Meet sports a $1 Pick Six, a 14 percent takeout on both the .50 Early and Late Pick 5, and we...

Wynstock (Solomini), campaigned in partnership by Los Alamitos track owner Ed Allred and one-time Hollywood Park president and current Los Al vice president Jack Liebau, provided his New York-based stallion with his second stakes winner of the afternoon and first at the graded level when narrowly outlasting Stronghold (Ghostzapper) in Saturday's GII Los Alamitos Futurity. It was the eighth victory in the 10 runnings of the Futurity since relocating to Orange County for trainer Bob Baffert and first since 2020. Ironically, Solomini crossed the wire best in the 2017 renewal,...

Trainer Bob Baffert won seven consecutive editions of the GII Los Alamitos Futurity until that streak ended two years ago. The Hall of Famer will have half the field when Wynstock (Solomini), Coach Prime (Quality Road) and GSP Wine Me Up (Vino Rosso) line up for his barn on Saturday. Coach Prime was a $1.7 million Keeneland September yearling, and began to pay back owner Zedan last out with a 7 1/4-length win at Del Mar Nov. 10, earning him the status of 'TDN Rising Star'. As for his stablemates,...

7th-LRC, $45K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 6:28 p.m. ET. MARCH OF TIME (Justify) debuts for the ownership group of Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael B. Tabor. The Bob Baffert trainee is out of GIII Sorrento S. winner Untouched Heart (Storm Cat), who is also responsible for the runner-up in the first two legs of the Triple Crown, Bodemeister (Empire Maker), and GII Summertime Oaks heroine Under the Stars (Pioneerof the Nile). A half-sister to the dam of GI La Troienne S. victress She's a Julie (Elusive Quality), Untouched Heart...

Some trivia for you equine enthusiasts out there. Who is the only horse to have two graded stakes named after them? The answer is Bayakoa (Arg). The Ron McAnally trainee who won a pair of GI Breeders' Cup Distaffs has one at Oaklawn, while its counterpart takes place this Friday at Los Alamitos Racecourse. The Grade III event out West pits morning-line favorite and Arizona-bred Desert Dawn (Cupid) versus six others going 1 1/16 miles. The 4-year-old filly trained by Phil D'Amato is loaded with class, even though she has...

Nothing Like You (Malibu Moon) gave Hall of Famer Bob Baffert a seventh straight victory in the GII Starlet S. at Los Alamitos Saturday evening. Drawn on the rail in the field of six, the last-out Desi Arnaz S. winner was sent to the front by Juan Hernandez and was pressed through an opening quarter in :23.24. She gained some separation through a half mile in :47.40, let it out a notch on the far turn and ran up the score in the stretch to win by 5 1/4 lengths...

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will have two opportunities to win his seventh straight GII Starlet S. at Los Alamitos Saturday. The 1 1/16-mile feature has attracted a field of six. The rail-drawn, 9-5 morning-line favorite Nothing Like You (Malibu Moon) enters for Baffert riding a two-race winning streak, including a nose victory in the seven-furlong Desi Arnaz S. at Del Mar last time out Nov. 18. She previously graduated by 6 1/2 lengths over next-out winner Great Forty Eight (Constitution) going a two-turn mile at Santa Anita Oct....

The federal lawsuit initiated by trainer Bob Baffert that alleges civil extortion and defamation by two social media posters has been ordered to proceed to an "early neutral evaluation" (ENE) conference Jan. 10 that is designed to save time and money as a form of alternate dispute resolution before the case can proceed any further. However, subsequent to that Nov. 29 ENE order, Baffert's attorney, Clark Brewster, asked the United States District Court (Southern District of California) on Dec. 4 to enter a default judgment against one of the defendants...

6th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1mT, 3:21 p.m. ET. Bred by the Don Alberto Corporation, WASASHORE (Medaglia d'Oro) debuts for Michael and Katherine Ball, who paid $825,000 for her at last year's Keeneland September Sale. Trained by Tom Amoss, the bay filly is out of GSW Sacristy (Pulpit), a $700,000 purchase at '13 Keeneland November by Don Alberto while in-foal to Medaglia d'Oro. A half-sister to Japanese G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen S. heroine Mozu Superflare (Speightstown), the mare also produced GI Santa Anita Oaks runner-up Flor de La Mar (Tiznow). TJCIS...

Shaping up to be nothing more than a public workout, TDN Rising Star Nysos (Nyquist) appeared to scare off much of his competition in the GIII Bob Hope S. Holding true to form, the Baoma Corp. runner roared home a much-the-best winner in Sunday's feature at Del Mar. Getting blinkers off while trying to remain undefeated, the colt wasn't particularly hurried exiting Post 5, settling kindly at the back of the short four-horse field as Tejon Pass (Justify) and Mission Beach (Curlin) cut out a :22.34 opening quarter while Stronghold...