Baffert looks for his next star on familiar ground

BAFFERT LOOKS FOR HIS NEXT STAR ON FAMILIAR GROUND

The Bob Baffert barn has enjoyed a cornucopia of stars in recent years. Two Triple Crown winners and the all-time leading earner among North American Thoroughbreds since 2015 to go along with countless other “big” scores has placed the hall of fame conditioner on an even higher shelf. Never one to look behind him, “Big Race” Bob is busy looking for his next achievement.

The Del Mar Futurity has traditionally been a springboard for west coast talent. A seven furlong showcase for two-year old males, the top race at the Seaside Oval for juveniles has been a race Baffert targets every year. Having won the grade 1 event an astounding 12 times including 7 times in a row (1996-2002), the California-based conditioner certainly knows what it takes to haul home the hardware.

“It’s always a race that comes up tough and this year will be no different,” observes Baffert. “I think American Pharoah (2014) was probably the best horse I ever ran in the Futurity, but we have had a lot of good ones over the years.”

Baffert appears to have another good one this go round in Roadster. A son of Quality Road and having won his only start, the Speedway Stables owned colt has been impressive in recent works. The speedy Instagrand looks to be the biggest obstacle between Baffert and a baker’s dozen in the left hand column of a race run since 1948. Also unbeaten (two starts), the Jerry Hollendorfer trained colt was super impressive in winning the Best Pal Stakes on August 11. Ask Baffert and he will tell you there is a lot to like about both these horses.

“Instagrand looks to be a really nice horse with a lot of speed,” says Baffert. “Roadster has been training really well and there is a lot to like about him. I think the longer the race the better he will be. I can’t wait to stretch him out around two turns. We know it is going to be a good race and we will see how we stack up against a quality field.”

The Futurity will be run on Monday, September 3. Will Roadster join the list of Baffert-trained legends like Lookin At Lucky, Silver Charm, and American Pharoah that began their historic path to stardom on the Del Mar dirt? I think the numbers tells us all we need to know.