Steve Haskin's Derby Dozen - January 23, 2018
The first Derby Dozen of 2018 is here! Find out who is number one, and who else made the list.
Keyword: Bob Baffert
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Collected, West Coast Put in Final Works for Pegasus
Collected and West Coast both worked in company at Santa Anita Park Jan. 21 in preparation for the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park.
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Masochistic Logs Final Workout for 2018 Debut
Under jockey Drayden Van Dyke, Masochistic popped out of the gate and immediately put open lengths between himself and the other workers.
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Mourinho Breaks Through in Smarty Jones Stakes
After settling for second in a pair of stakes in Southern California to close out 2017, Mourinho found Oaklawn Park to his liking as he scored a clear victory in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 15.
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Collected Breezes at Santa Anita for Pegasus
Speedway Stable's 5-year-old, grade 1 winner Collected was sent out by trainer Bob Baffert for a seven-furlong breeze at Santa Anita Park under Mike Smith Jan. 15 in preparation for the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1).
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Plein Air Takes Astra in First US Start
Plein Air's front-running victory in the $75,000 Astra Stakes at Santa Anita Park Jan. 14 marked a couple of firsts for the 5-year-old mare and her connections.
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Mourinho Carries Hopes for Baffert in Smarty Jones
Graded stakes-placed Mourinho will aim to continue his conditioner's run of dominance in the state of Arkansas when he heads a field of seven entered for the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 15.
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Mubtaahij, Hoppertunity Point to Dubai World Cup
With grade 1 winners Collected and West Coast well on their way, training toward the Jan. 27 Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), another Bob Baffert-trained duo of top-level winners is eying the next elite event for handicap horses.
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Oaklawn Park to Unveil American Pharoah Statue Jan. 11
As a lasting tribute to the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years, Oaklawn Park will unveil a life-size bronze statue of American Pharoah Jan. 11.
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McKinzie Shines in Sham
McKinzie's run in the final furlong of the $100,000 Sham Stakes (G3) Jan. 6 at Santa Anita Park looked more like at typical workout for trainer Bob Baffert than any kind of arduous test on the early Triple Crown trail.
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Santa Anita Tries Out New Conditions to Retain Owners
In an effort to relieve some of the frustration regarding horse ownership, Santa Anita Park has instituted conditions at the maiden special weight level based on auction price and at the claiming level based on barn size, in limited races.
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Gun Runner Heads Up Eclipse Award Finalists
The expected coronation of Gun Runner took a step closer to becoming official Jan. 5, when the reigning Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner was announced as one of the three finalists in the Eclipse Award balloting for 2017 Horse of the Year.
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Keith Desormeaux Sends Out My Boy Jack in Sham Stakes
Trainer Keith Desormeaux, who had top-level success with relatively inexpensive sale purchases Texas Red and Exaggerator, has $20,000 buy My Boy Jack on the Triple Crown trail in Southern California.
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Killer Bs: Brown, Baffert, Broberg Enjoy Top Seasons
In a 2017 season in which he sent out a classic winner and a pair of Breeders' Cup winners, trainer Chad Brown finished as the top trainer by North American purse earnings for a second straight year.
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Masochistic to Make Return in Midnight Lute Stakes
Masochistic is closing in on the age of 8 and will make his return to racing off a nearly eight-month layoff with a new trainer Dec. 30 in the $100,000 Midnight Lute Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park.
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Collected to Prep for Pegasus in San Antonio
Collected should get another shot at Gun Runner in the Jan. 27 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream Park, but first comes the Dec. 26 prep at Santa Anita Park, in the $300,000 San Antonio Stakes (G2).
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Dream Tree Draws Off in Easy Starlet Triumph
One race after taking the Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity (G1) with McKinzie, Dream Tree gave trainer Bob Baffert the sweep of the day's top-level tests when she drew clear of Yesterday's News in the stretch to take $300,000 Starlet Stakes (G1).
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McKinzie Wins Los Al Futurity Via Solomini's DQ
Bob Baffert-trained Street Sense colt was elevated to first after DQ of stablemate.
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Handicapping Focus on Weekend's 2-Year-Old Stakes
Look anywhere across the country, and there is no escaping the realization that the entire Thoroughbred racing world is at the mercy of Mother Nature.
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Baffert Has Top Shots in CashCall, Starlet
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has a chance to make history Dec. 9 in the $300,000 Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity (G1) and $300,000 Starlet Stakes (G1).
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Champagne Room Most Decorated in Bayakoa Field
Champagne Room, champion 2-year-old filly of 2016, will try to secure her first graded stakes win as a 3-year-old when she starts in the $200,000 Bayakoa Stakes Dec. 3 at Los Alamitos Race Course.
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Mubtaahij Back in Action in Native Diver
Out of the four Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) runners from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, Mubtaahij (IRE) is the first to get back to action.
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Hoppertunity, Diversify Head Clark Handicap
Multiple grade 1 winner Hoppertunity will attempt to join an exclusive club of two-time winners when he lines up for his fourth $500,000 Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) Nov. 24 at Churchill Downs.
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Dream Tree Holds Off Midnight Bisou in Desi Arnaz
Just more than three weeks after their debut race, when Dream Tree held off a closing Midnight Bisou by a desperate nose at Santa Anita Park, the stage was set again during the stretch run in the $100,000 Desi Arnaz Stakes Nov. 18 at Del Mar.
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The Unsolved Mystery of Arrogate
We should remember the Arrogate who raised goose bumps on our arms and left us numb from the experience of watching him run. And we should ignore the phantom who floundered at Del Mar, as we would any mirage.
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Morning After Classic, Baffert Reflects at Del Mar
Baffert will remain at home in California. He'll get his string in order, and they'll fight another day.
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Grade 1 Winner Cupid Retired From Racing
Two days after his last-place run in the Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), Coolmore's Cupid has been retired from racing, trainer Bob Baffert said Nov. 5 at Del Mar.
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Gun Runner Untouchable in Breeders' Cup Classic
Gun Runner hadn't won at 1 1/4 miles yet. He got no breaks with a hot pace and Collected pressing him all the way. He took it all and put everyone away in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).
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Life in Shadows Could Bring Collected to the Forefront
The biggest concerns of his biggest rivals are obstacles he has already cleared. Yet in his preparation for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), Collected might as well be engulfed in shadow.
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Arrogate Leads BC Classic Arsenal on Track for Baffert
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert was on the scene Nov. 1 at Del Mar to put his Breeders' Cup contenders through their paces, led by defending Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Arrogate.
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Arrogate, Gun Runner Headline Classic Showdown
The 2017 edition of the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) is one to marvel at.
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Baffert, Drefong Back in Search of Another Sprint Win
Bob Baffert, the lone trainer to win the TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) with the same horse in consecutive years, will try to repeat that accomplishment with Drefong this year at Del Mar.
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Practical Joke Faces Elders in Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile
Practical Joke has been perfect when asked to run eight furlongs or less. That flawless streak will be put to its toughest tough yet Nov. 3 when the grade 1 winner faces elders in the Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Del Mar.
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Arrogate Shows Competitiveness in Final BC Work
It didn't take long for Juddmonte Farms' Arrogate to show the competitiveness trainer Bob Baffert wanted to see Oct. 30 at Santa Anita Park, in the Unbridled's Song colt's final timed workout for the Breeders Cup Classic (G1).
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West Coast, Cupid Get Final Works for Breeders' Cup
Gary and Mary West's West Coast continued to hold his path Oct. 29 at Santa Anita Park in his final workout for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).
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'Tough' Mor Spirit Puts in Final Work for Dirt Mile
Michael Lund Petersen's Mor Sprit has never been a very good work horse, so to get him cranked for the Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) trainer Bob Baffert has had to get a little creative.
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Collected Impressive in Final Breeders' Cup Work
After a relatively slow start to his six-furlong drill (his quarter-mile fractions through the first four furlongs were :25 1/5 and :49 3/5), the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) winner finished strong in the final quarter and hit the wire in 1:13 2/5.
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Hoppertunity Returns in Comma to the Top
Last seen finishing sixth, 10 3/4 lengths behind stablemate Arrogate, in the March 25 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1), multiple grade 1 winner Hoppertunity is set to return to racing Oct. 28 in the Comma to the Top Stakes.
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What's Going On Here: Something's Missing
The big preps for this year’s Breeders’ Cup have come and gone. Yet, the three biggest names for the upcoming World Championships were conspicuously missing…and missing not just from races in October—but since Labor Day.
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Arrogate, Gun Runner Polished in Classic Works
A stacked edition of the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) looms in the near future and two of this year's top contenders, Arrogate and Gun Runner, put in their last serious works Oct. 23 at Santa Anita Park before the Nov. 4 test at Del Mar.
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Abel Tasman Avoids Trouble in Breeders' Cup Work
Abel Tasman had just left the gate for her workout when Vegas Vic was wrapping up his. In the process of galloping out, Vegas Vic broke down, but the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) contender was able to avoid any incident.
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Collected, Stellar Wind Work for Breeders' Cup
TVG Pacific Classic (G1) winner Collected, one of trainer Bob Baffert's four for the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), worked six furlongs at Santa Anita in a bullet 1:12 flat under Martin Garcia, the fastest of 14 drills at the distance Oct. 21.
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Dortmund Retired, Will Stand at Bonita Farm in Maryland
Grade 1 winner Dortmund has been retired from racing "for good" and will stand at Bonita Farm in Darlington, Md., for the 2018 breeding season, owner Kaleem Shah said Oct. 20.
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Danzing Candy to Stand at Rancho San Miguel
Multiple grade 2 winner Danzing Candy will stand at Tom and Nancy Clark's Rancho San Miguel for the 2018 season, it was announced Oct. 19. The son of Twirling Candy will be offered at an introductory fee of $5,000 live foal stands and nurses.
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Gun Runner Solid in Santa Anita Work
Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm's Gun Runner put in his third West Coast work toward the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), going five furlongs Oct. 16 at Santa Anita Park.
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West Coast, Bolt d'Oro Log Breeders' Cup Works
Following West Coast's work first work back after his score in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1), trainer Bob Baffert said the remaining steps toward the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) would be to "gear up" the Flatter colt.
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Arrogate to Retire After Breeders' Cup
Defending Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Arrogate will retire to stud at Juddmonte U.S. near Lexington after his Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup bid, Juddmonte Farms announced Oct. 10. A fee will be released at a later date.
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Gun Runner Atop Stable NTRA Poll Ahead of Breeders' Cup
Week 37 of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top Thoroughbred Poll for horses of all ages shows little to no change in the top 10, results of which were released Oct. 9.
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Drefong, Gun Runner Head Santa Anita Park Works
Trainer Bob Baffert's efforts to replicate a 2016 schedule with Drefong that saw the son of Gio Ponti secure victory in last year's TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) appears to be on schedule.
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West Coast Begins Work for Breeders' Cup Classic
West Coast began his workout preparation for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita Park Oct. 8, when he covered four furlongs in :48 4/5 in his first work since the Sept. 23 Pennsylvania Derby (G1).
