Bob Baffert

Hall of Famer Bob Baffert sent out a talented fleet of workers Saturday morning at Santa Anita Park, led by G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint victor Imagination (Into Mischief), while multiple Grade I winner Journalism (Curlin) continued his march toward a return with his own five-panel move. In addition to Imagination, who worked three furlongs in :37.60 (8/10) for the first time since his win in Saudi Arabia, the Baffert brigade included Cherokee Nation (Not This Time); 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Cornucopian (Into Mischief); and Desert Gate (Omaha Beach)....

NEW KENT, VA--Bob Baffert has an embarrassment of riches on his hands when it comes to classy 3-year-old fillies. Grade I winner Bottle of Rouge (Vino Rosso) joined stablemates Explora (Blame) and Forced Entry (Charlatan) in the top five slots of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard Saturday with her dominant win in the second running of the Virginia Oaks. Making her second start of the year, Bottle of Rouge crossed the country to Colonial Downs off a 1 1/2-length score in the Sunland Park Oaks Feb. 15. She...

4th-GP, $84k, Msw, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 2:19 p.m. ET. Star Actress (Justify), a full-sister to champion 2-year-old filly and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Just F Y I, stretches to two turns for her second career start for Bill Mott. The George Krikorian homebred rallied from seventh to finish a close second on debut going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Feb. 8. She earned a 73 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort. The aforementioned Just F Y I brought $4.5 million from Katsumi Yoshida at the 2025 Fasig-Tipton November...

Less than 48 hours after Colonial Downs was coated in three inches of fresh snow, Saturday's Virginia Derby, the last 50-point prep race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, will have competitors and visitors alike dreaming of warmer things to come on the first Saturday in May. Now in its second year, the newly-repositioned Virginia Derby (moved up from the track's traditional summer meet) drew a field of 10 after running with just seven entries in its inaugural edition won by the late D. Wayne Lukas's American Promise (Justify)....

A colt by last year's leading freshman sire Yaupon (hip 576) was the first to hit seven figures during Thursday's third and final session at the OBS March Sale, bringing an even $1,000,000 from the Three Amigos. "I bought him for the Three Amigos," said bloodstock agent Donato Lanni. "So he's going to go to California. He was beautiful and fast and sound, came out of the work really good. These horses that bring this kind of money, they just have to do everything right. They've got to vet at...

Juddmonte Farms' Laurel River (Into Mischief--Calm Water, by Empire Maker), a spectacular and record-setting winner of the 2024 G1 Dubai World Cup, has been retired from racing and will begin covering mares at Big Red Farm on the island of Hokkaido in Japan from this season, according to a news item on the nursery's website. A stud fee will be announced in two weeks' time. Trained across his first seven starts by Bob Baffert, the homebred won his maiden in his 3-year-old debut, covering 6 1/2 furlongs in a strong...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis OCALA, FL - Brisk trade continued from start to finish of the second session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training Wednesday in Central Florida and the day concluded with figures well ahead of the auction's 2025 renewal. The session was topped by a filly by Nyquist who sold for $2 million to Boyd Racing from the Wavertree Stables consignment. Through two sessions of the three-day sale, 295 horses have sold for $51,336,500. After two sessions in 2025, 269...

Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni signed the ticket on a Mo Town colt (hip 299) for $1.05-million early in Wednesday's second session at OBS March. "Beautiful, beautiful horse," Lanni said after signing on behalf of Baoma Corp. "Breezed exceptional. Beautiful breeze. He came out of it really well. I think that's the toughest thing on these young horses, to come out of those breezes. He's going to go to Bob [Baffert], bought him for Baoma Corp. They've been very lucky here over the years, so glad we got him." The colt,...

A Baffert longshot in a Santa Anita maiden race (that isn't a misprint) tops this week's list. 5). MAYKOMOTION, TAM, 3/7, 7 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure- 84 (c, 3, by Vekoma--Maymont, by Unbridled's Song) O-Bona Venture Stables and Bianco Stable. B-Dominique Damico (Fla). T-George Weaver. J-John Velazquez. He couldn't match strides with the likes of Jackson Hole in his first start in December, but outran these from the start and was drawing away through the final quarter. His five half-siblings to race have been predominantly cheap claimers, but this...

She rolled into the lane with all the momentum and Forced Entry (Charlatan) carried it right to her first black-type win in the GIII Santa Ysabel Stakes. Debuted Jan. 11 at this venue in a six-furlong turf maiden, she faded to last after having to fight every step of the way, but it was a much different result when she resurfaced Feb. 1 on this main track. Out to set the pace again, they were never able to reel her back in, and Forced Entry cantered home to win easily...

Trainer Bob Baffert had a two-strong chance to earn a record-extending 10th win in Saturday's GII San Felipe Stakes. His best shot looked to be with the 4-5 favorite and 'TDN Rising Star' Brant (Gun Runner) who was making his first start back since running third to Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar last November. But it was his other runner, 8-1 shot and $2.4-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale graduate Potente (Into Mischief) who secured the win and 50 Kentucky Derby points for the...

CSLR Racing Partners, LLC's Crude Velocity (c, 3, Beau Liam--Sweetnsour Kitty, by Lemon Drop Kid) overcame a nightmare journey to become the first 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' for his young sire. One of three entered by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert and overlooked at generous debut odds of 10-1, he was off to a slow start from his rail draw and trailed the field of nine shortly after the break. He rushed up beneath Florent Geroux and was under a tight hold racing in traffic just behind the...