Bob Baffert

Pastor T (Into Mischief--Top Quality, by Quality Road), named a 'TDN Rising Star' for a 4 1/4-length debut victory at Del Mar Aug. 12, was euthanized Saturday after sustaining fatal injuries in a workout. Bred by WinStar Farm and campaigned in partnership with Siena Farm and trainer Bob Baffert, Pastor T was nearing the conclusion of his workout when he suffered the injury. Pastor T was a likely starter in the GI Del Mar Futurity. California Horse Racing Board chairman Greg Ferraro confirmed that Pastor T suffered an irreparable injury...

It's a bit of Christmas in August Saturday at venerable Saratoga Race Course, which plays host to no fewer than five Grade I events for horses of all ages--on dirt and on turf--topped by the main event on the summer calendar, the $1.25-million GI Travers S. While the fields are short on numbers, they are long on quality, as three of the races have attracted reigning Eclipse Award winners, none of whom are anything close to a cinch in their respective heats. Champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) has...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Unbeaten and hardly challenged so far through four starts, New York Thunder (Nyquist) will not be an unknown Saturday in his second visit this summer to Saratoga Race Course. New York Thunder made a grand entry on the big stage at the Spa on July 28 with a resounding victory in the GII Amsterdam S. Sent off at 11-2 in his first race on dirt, he rolled to a 7 1/2-length score under jockey Tyler Gaffalione. Though he was eased up in the stretch when the...

1st-SAR, $136K, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:10 p.m. Purchased by St. Elias Stable, Repole Stable and breeder LNJ Foxwoods for $875,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, Tireless (Not This Time) will take on two turns in his first career start over the grass. Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., the dark bay colt's dam Kitty Union (Union Rags) was purchased by Rosilyn Polan at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale for $160,000 carrying a colt by Improbable. His third dam Tizso (Cee's Tizzy) produced GI Haskell Invitational...

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) on Tuesday closed the 27-month regulatory saga involving Medina Spirit's GI Kentucky Derby drug disqualification by unanimously voting to deny appeals by trainer Bob Baffert and owner Zedan Racing Stables while accepting a hearing officer's recommended order that the penalties originally imposed by the Churchill Downs stewards be affirmed in their entirety. But the legal battle to restore Medina Spirit's win in America's most historic and important horse race appears to be just now ramping up. That's because now that the KHRC's decision is...

No fewer than four of the seven 3-year-olds expected for Saturday's GI Travers S. got their final tune-ups Saturday morning, three over the Saratoga main track and one at Del Mar. Mage (Good Magic), the GI Kentucky Derby hero who figures no worse than the second betting choice behind Forte (Violence) in the 10-furlong feature, breezed three-quarters of a mile in 1:15.56 for trainer Gustavo Delgago. In what was described as a maintenance move beneath exercise rider J.J. Delgado, the son of former 'TDN Rising Star' Puca (Big Brown) went...

Cave Rock (Arrogate--Georgie's Angel, by Bellamy Road), a two-time Grade I winner at two and runner-up to eventual champion Forte (Violence) in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, died Friday, Aug. 18 from complications from laminitis which developed after surgery late last month. According to a statement from Dr. Vince Baker at the SLR Equine Hospital: "On July 28, 2023, after a routine morning of exercise, Cave Rock showed signs of colic while cooling out. He was treated with a tranquilizer and an anti-inflammatory. His vital signs did not improve,...

In a battle of Bob Baffert-trained TDN Rising Stars, second choice Prince of Monaco (Speightstown) got the better of his more fancied stablemate, 1-2 choice Muth (Good Magic), to take Sunday's GIII Best Pal S. at Del Mar. The victory represented the 10th Best Pal score for the Hall of Famer. Prince of Monaco, a $950,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling purchase, was content to linger near the back early as first Tranche (Collected) and then Muth led through opening fractions of :21.76 and :44.76. Closing strongly on the front rank passing...

Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo), first and third in last month's GI Haskell S. at Monmouth, appear likely for a rematch in the Sept. 2 G1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic. Following his Haskell victory, trainer Richard Mandella indicated the Pacific Classic was possible for the Pin Oak Stud runner, however, upon returning to Del Mar, the Hall of Famer began considering the $125,000 Shared Belief S. instead. Facing older horses in the Classic, the sophomore would run against his own division in the Shared...

WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's Pastor T (c, 2, Into Mischief--Top Quality, by Quality Road) covered stacks of ground from a wide draw, but overcame the tough trip to graduate by 4 1/4 impressive lengths to be named the afternoon's second 'TDN Rising Star', the 40th of the all-conquering Into Mischief's sons and daughters to be accorded such honors. The colt's worktab--both at Santa Anita and over the local strip--didn't so much whisper 'ready' as much as it screamed it and the bay was duly dispatched as a 2-5 mortal...

Dreamfyre (f, 2, Flameaway--Appreciating, by Sky Mesa) may not have been the GIII Sorrento S. favorite behind 'TDN Rising Star' Benedetta (City of Light) and flashy Baffert/Zedan runner Dua (Arrogate), but she ran like it, controlling the 2-year-old filly contest from pillar to post. In Del Mar's co-feature Saturday, Dreamfyre broke like a shot from the inside post and immediately put daylight on the rest, clicking off early fractions in :21.74 and :45.10. Benedetta and Dua followed with the rest of the field stretched out well behind. Coming off the...

It should be no shock that the path to glory in the GIII Best Pal S. will pass through the barn of Bob Baffert at Del Mar Sunday afternoon. He'll bring back a pair of 'TDN Rising Stars' in $2m OBS March sales topper Muth (Good Magic) and $950,000 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Select Sale grad Prince of Monaco (Speightstown). Both colts impressed in their lone prior starts--Muth earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure in his gate-to-wire 8 3/4-length blowout at Santa Anita June 18 while Prince of Monaco rolled...