LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Sunday, May 3, 2015) – To set the stage for his press conference Sunday morning to reflect on this fourth victory, Hall of Fame trainerBob Baffert brought the star of the 141st Kentucky Derby — American Pharoah — out of the barn to pose for the cameras.
Tag: Bob Baffert
JOCKEY QUOTES
MARTIN GARCIA, DORTMUND, WINNER: “This is my first win in the Santa Anita Derby. There are a lot of ‘firsts’ with him for me. He was really comfortable. The main thing for me today was to break well and put him in a good position.
“Even though he’s won all his races, he’s still learning. He can play around a bit but when someone comes to him, or I ask him to go, he becomes push-button and he just takes off.
“I never had the chance to ride American Pharoah except in his first time out. But American Pharoah just drags me in the morning; wherever you want to go, however far you want to go, he drags you there. Dortmund, just gallops along, but he isn’t aggressive about it. They’re different in that way but they’re both very good horses.”
RAFAEL BEJARANO, ONE LUCKY DANE, SECOND: “I had a good trip. No excuse. I put him right behind with the speed, but the winner was just the best. He was much the best. My horse was still running to the end. My horse ran really good, really good. He surprised me today. He made a good move at the end.
(The best thing about his performance?): “This will help a lot in the (Kentucky) Derby. I think this horse can run all day. He’s still learning. He’s a big horse, good-sized for two turns. I think this race will be a lot of help.”
ARCADIA , Calif. (AP) _ There’s just no pinning Bob Baffert down on his large contingent of Triple Crown candidates.
ARCADIA , Calif. (Feb. 13, 2013)—A winner of the Grade I La Brea Stakes going seven furlongs on Dec. 26, Book Review was then a sharp second in the Grade II La Canada Stakes going a mile and a sixteenth on Jan. 20, and she’ll try that distance again on Saturday as she heads a six-horse field in Santa Anita’s featured Grade II, $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes for older fillies and mares.
BAFFERT ENTERS FOUR, INCLUDING FED BIZ & GUILT TRIP
ARCADIA , Calif. (Jan. 9, 2013)—Battle Force, a sharp second in the Grade II Sir Beaufort Stakes going one mile on turf at Santa Anita on Dec. 26, will try to transfer his sharp recent form to the main track on Saturday as he takes on nine other four-year-olds in the Grade II, $150,000 San Fernando Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, the middle leg in Santa Anita’s prestigious Strub series.
ARCADIA , Calif. (Sept. 6, 2012)—Santa Anita’s stable area and main track have reopened for training following a seven-week closure for routine maintenance during the Del Mar race meeting, which concluded on Wednesday.
Jockey Rafael Bejarano is not No. 1 in the rider standings after the first week of the Del Mar Thorougbred Club meeting. Garrett Gomez was the hot jock of the first five days, notching 10 wins, three more than Bejarano.
Healthy handle numbers rang up across the board as Del Mar opened its 75th anniversary season with five days of racing from Wednesday (7/18) through Sunday (7/22).
By Jenny Kellner
ELMONT , N.Y. – All trainer Michael Matz wanted was a chance for Union Rags to show what kind of horse he is. Saturday afternoon at Belmont Park , the hard-luck colt got that chance and the result was a thrilling victory over Paynter in the 144thrunning of the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes.