Bob Baffert

A last-out winner against optional claimers over the Tapeta at Golden Gate Dec. 30 by a tidy 7 1/2-lengths, Chase the Chaos (Astern {Aus}) broke his maiden under Robertino Diodoro at second-asking Sept. 17 at Canterbury Park. Switching to the Moger barn he was an outkicked third in the Golden Nugget S. Nov. 12 and caught late in the Gold Rush S. Dec. 3. Up to the challenge against a pair of high-priced KEESEP grads who were invading for Bob Baffert in favorite Gilmore (Twirling Candy) and pacesetter Nullarbor (Candy...

Trainer Bob Baffert now wants the federal judge handling his year-old lawsuit against Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), to recuse herself. The stated reason is that legislative lobbying efforts conducted by the judge's husband for two racing industry clients allegedly create a conflict of interest for Judge Rebecca Jennings in adjudicating Baffert's case. Baffert is attempting to reverse the second year of a two-year ban by CDI that prohibits his trainees from accruing qualifying points and competing in the 2023 GI Kentucky Derby. CDI first imposed that punishment in June 2021...

Amr Zedan joined this week's TDN Writers' Room to discuss his talented Kentucky Derby hopeful, the recent GIII Southwest S. winner Arabian Knight.

Hopkins (Quality Road) gave his outstanding Lane's End-based stallion a sixth 'quality' winner over the course of the last five days, kicking clear late to easily prevail in Sunday's GIII Palos Verdes S. at the Great Race Place. Nicely away from gate two beneath Juan Hernandez, the $900,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase was content to lay second as Straight No Chaser (Speightster)--favored by about $900-- drilled the opening couple of furlongs in :21.80. Asked to claim the front-runner as the half went up in a slick :44.10, Hopkins hit the...

On a Saturday that included bi-coastal graded stakes for sophomores, the most emphatic performance on the GI Kentucky Derby trail was orchestrated in a first-level allowance race at Gulfstream Park by Tapit Trice (Tapit). It wasn't just the eight-length blowout margin of victory or the 92 Beyer Speed Figure that made the athletic gray's effort stand out. It's the fluid, three-race progression and unruffled demeanor that suggests Tapit Trice is ascending his developmental arc while honing an air of confident capability. A $1.3 million KEESEP yearling owned in partnership by...

In a sport often built upon uncertainty, the latest renewal of the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. offered one foregone conclusion--a Bob Baffert-trained 3-year-old would emerge victorious. With only four horses--all trained by Baffert--going postward in Saturday's sophomore feature at Santa Anita, Newgate (Into Mischief) was most fancied of the quartet, with Arabian Lion (Justify) given a 2-1 chance over Worcester (Empire Maker) at 5-2. Accompanied by famed European rider Frankie Dettori, the favorite was held under restraint in last by about 2 1/2 lengths as Arabian Lion and Hard...

Defending G1 Dubai World Cup hero Country Grammer (Tonalist) is one of over 1,600 entries, including 892 individual horses from 21 countries, entered in the $30.5-million Dubai World Cup night card. The featured event, sponsored by Emirates Airline, attracted 171 entries. Of the 24 Group or Grade 1 winners besides the Zedan Racing-owned and Bob Baffert-trained Country Grammer, is the duo's three-time Grade I winner Taiba (Gun Runner). Joining them could be a pair of longshot headliners from last year; namely, GI Kentucky Derby champ Rich Strike (Keen Ice) and...

Bob Baffert has certainly taken his lumps ever since it was discovered that Medina Spirit (Protonico) tested positive for a banned substance in the 2021 GI Kentucky Derby. He was hit with a 90-day suspension from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, the New York Racing Association banned him for a year and Churchill Downs banned him for two years. Though Baffert is still fighting the Churchill ban, in all likelihood, he will not be allowed to start a horse in this year's Derby, which would be the second straight year...

Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman's Havnameltdown set all the fractions and held stablemate and co-favorite Faustin at bay to the wire to win the GII San Vicente S. by 1 1 /2 lengths at Santa Anita Sunday. Off a tad awkwardly from his inside post, Havnameltdown recovered quickly to pull himself to the early lead and was in control after a quarter in :22.46, with longshot Man Child (Creative Cause), the lone non-Baffert runner in the four-horse field, in close attendance. The bay colt inched further clear entering...

'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo), a devastating debut winner for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert going seven furlongs on Breeders' Cup Saturday at Keeneland, successfully stretched to two turns with a stylish 5 1/2-length victory as the 2-5 chalk in a sloppy renewal of the GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn Park. The $2.3-million OBSAPR topper broke like a shot from post six and led the field around the clubhouse turn. He splashed his way up top through fractions of :22.98 and :46.82, kicked for home as the one...

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will attack next Saturday's GIII Robert B. Lewis S. at Santa Anita with quality and an awful lot of quantity. The nominees for the $200,000 race were released Saturday and 14 of the 16 nominated for the race hail from the Baffert stable. This Lewis will be run just six days after the GII San Vicente S. In that race, also for 3-year-olds, Baffert trains four of the five starters. The lone horse to take on Baffert in the San Vicente will be 20-1...

A $725,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic grad, Faiza (Girvin) already had lofty expectations by the time she entered the starting gate for the first time Nov. 12. A popular choice at the betting windows, she put on a 3 1/2-length winning performance that day worthy of a 'TDN Rising Star' tag and immediately backed that form up with a narrow win next time out over familiar foe Pride of the Nile (Pioneerof the Nile) in the GI Starlet S. at Los Alamitos Dec. 10. In a field that included the top three...