Bob Baffert Born
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Bob Baffert Born: Jan. 13, 1953, Nogales, Ariz. Residence: Arcadia and Del Mar, Calif. Family: wife Jill, sons Bode, Taylor, Canyon & Forest; daughter Savannah. Web site: www.bobbaffert.com Breeders’ Cup Record: 108-14-16-5 | $27,605,000 • Following his third straight Breeders’ Cup Classic victory in 2016, Baffert now leads all trainers on the all-time Breeders’ Cup earnings list with a record of 108-14-16-5 and earnings of $27,605,000. ... The 2016 Classic win came when the lightly raced Arrogate pulled a mild upset over California Chrome. One year earlier, American Pharoah, who earlier in the year became the first horse in 37 years to sweep the Triple Crown, concluded his stellar year with a gate to wire victory at Keeneland. In 2015, Bayern gave the trainer his first Classic victory at Santa Anita. ... In addition to the 2016 Classic, he also won the Sprint with Drefong. … He also won two races in 2013 when Secret Circle gave him his fourth win in the Sprint and New Year’s Day became his third Juvenile winner. He has also won the Juvenile Fillies twice and the Juvenile Sprint. • Baffert failed to win a fourth straight Classic when Arrogate finished a disappointing fifth, but he did finish second in the race with Collected and third with West Coast, who went on to be named champion 3-year-old. He also finished second in the Distaff with Abel Tasman, second in the Juvenile with Solomini and second in the Juvenile Fillies with Alluring Star. • Baffert will be seeking an unprecedented fourth Classic in 2018 with West Coast and McKenzie, who had been his early Derby favorite until an injury knocked him out of the Santa Anita Derby. He returned to win the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) in Sept. Baffert’s other Breeders’ Cup starters include Abel Tasman in the Distaff, likely favorite Game Winner in the Juvenile and Marley’s Freedom in the Filly & Mare Sprint. • Became the second trainer, joining Ben Jones, to win a second Triple Crown when he took Justify from maiden winner to Triple Crown winner in the span of just 111 days. The Scat Daddy colt retired undefeated in six starts after the Belmont and will stand his first season at Coolmore in 2019. • Baffert earned his first Triple Crown in 2015 when Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby winner American Pharoah won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes to become the first horse since Affirmed in 1978 to win the Triple Crown ... The Zayat Stable colorbearer, who would have been the favorite for the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile before being scratched with a minor injury, also won the Rebel Stakes, Arkansas Derby and Haskell Invitational before suffering his first loss of the year when second in the Travers Stakes. American Pharoah was retired to stud and stood his first season Coolmore Stud in Lexington, Ky in 2016. • Prior to American Pharoah, Baffert had won two legs of the Triple Crown four times with Hall of Fame member Silver Charm (1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness), Real Quiet (1998 Kentucky Derby and Preakness), Hall of Fame member Point Given (2001 Preakness and Belmont) and War Emblem (2002 Kentucky Derby and Preakness) ... He also won the Preakness with champion Lookin At Lucky in 2010 and overall, has won the middle leg of the Triple Crown six times, tying him for second with D. Wayne Lukas and is one behind leader R.W. Walden. … In 2012, he ran second in all three legs, with Bodemeister in the Derby and Preakness and with Paynter in the Belmont. • Thanks to his victories in the $6 million Classic, $12 million Pegasus World Cup and $10 million World Cup, Arrogate is the world’s richest racehorse with $17,302,600 in earnings. • Baffert did not have a starter in the Kentucky Derby, but did win the Kentucky Oaks with Abel Tasman, who also collected Grade 1 wins in the Coaching Club American Oaks and Acorn Stakes this year. He has also won Grade 1 races this year with Mor Spirit (Met Mile) and Drefong (Forego Stakes). • In 2013, Game On Dude became the second horse to win the Santa Anita Handicap (G1), Hollywood Gold Cup (G1), and Pacific Classic(G1) in the same year, joining Lava Man, who did it in 2006. Game On Dude earned a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Breeders’ Cup Classic with his Pacific Classic victory. • In 2012, Baffert suffered a heart attack in Dubai after traveling there to run Game On Dude in the Dubai World Cup (G1). He had three stents inserted during a procedure in Dubai after doctors discovered that two arteries were blocked. He returned to the United States several days later and quickly recovered. • Won 2011 Kentucky Oaks (G1) with Plum Pretty, his second win in the race following Hall of Fame member Silverbulletday’s victory in 1999. • Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009 in just his second year of eligibility. • Eclipse Awards as Outstanding Trainer: 2015, 1999, 1998, and 1997 ... Led in national earnings four straight years, from 1998 - 2001. Through early Oct, was ranked sixth in the national standings with just over $8.9 million in earnings. • Eclipse Award Champions (13 horses winning 16 titles): American Pharoah, Lookin At Lucky, Midshipman, Indian Blessing, Midnight Lute, Chilukki, Point Given, Real Quiet, Silverbulletday, Silver Charm, Vindication and War Emblem ... American Pharoah was Horse of the Year in 2015. Point Given was named Horse of the Year in 2001. • Won the 2011 Santa Anita Derby (G1) with Midnight Interlude, becoming the first trainer in more than half a century to win both the Santa Anita Derby and Santa Anita Handicap in one year. • Received the 1997 Mr. Fitz Award from the National Turf Writers Association and the 1997 Big Sport of Turfdom Award from the Turf Publicists of America. • Won the Dubai World Cup (G1) twice: in 1998 with Silver Charm and in 2001 with Captain Steve. • Trained four Quarter Horse champions, in including 1986 world champion Gold Coast Express, after beginning his Quarter Horse training career at Rillito Downs in Tucson and then moving to Los Alamitos in 1983 ... Won the Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos in 1986 with Gold Coast Express and in 1988 with Shawnee’s Favorite ... Made transition to Thoroughbreds during the late 1980s, mostly due to the encouragement of owners Mike Pegram and Hal Earnhardt. • He gave up his Quarter Horse division in 1991 after recording a stakes triple in the California Cup during the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita. • The fourth of seven children, Baffert grew up on an Arizona cattle ranch near the Mexican border and got started in the horse business grooming and galloping Quarter Horses owned by his father ... After graduating from high school in 1971, took a year to pursue his dream of becoming a jockey. He won 30 races, but grew tired of trying to maintain jockey weight, so he enrolled in the University of Arizona’s Racetrack Industry Program. .