Bob Baffert facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bob Baffert |
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Baffert claiming his trophy for National Treasure at the 2023 Preakness Stakes
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| Occupation | Trainer |
| Born | January 13, 1953 Nogales, Arizona, U.S. |
| Career wins | 3,457+ (ongoing) |
| Major racing wins | |
Grade 1 Stakes Wins
Acorn Stakes 2009, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2020 Alabama Stakes 1999 American Pharoah Stakes / FrontRunner Stakes / Norfolk Stakes 2009, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Apple Blossom Handicap 2012, 2024 Arkansas Derby 2012, 2015, 2020, 2020, 2024 Ashland Stakes 1999 Awesome Again Stakes / Goodwood Stakes 2010, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022 Ballerina Stakes 2018, 2021 Bing Crosby Stakes 2009, 2011, 2016 Blue Grass Stakes 2006 Carter Handicap 2003 Champagne Stakes 2001 Chandelier Stakes / Oak Leaf Stakes 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2019 Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap 2004 Cigar Mile Handicap 2000, 2002, 2003 Clark Handicap 2014 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes 2020, 2023, 2024 Coaching Club American Oaks 2017 Del Mar Debutante Stakes 1999, 2001, 2006, 2012, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024 Del Mar Futurity 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Del Mar Oaks 1999, 2009 Donn Handicap 2001 Eddie Read Handicap 1999 Forego Stakes 2007, 2017 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes 2024 Frizette Stakes 2007, 2010 Gazelle Handicap 1999 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes / Hollywood Gold Cup Handicap 1999, 2003, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024 Haskell Invitational Stakes 2001, 2002, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2020 Humana Distaff Stakes / Derby City Distaff Stakes 2006, 2014, 2021 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes 1999, 2016 Kentucky Oaks 1999, 2011, 2017 King's Bishop Stakes 1999, 2016 La Brea Stakes 1998, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2021, 2022 Las Virgenes Stakes 1999, 2003, 2012, 2015 Los Alamitos Derby / Swaps Stakes 2000, 2001 Los Alamitos Futurity / Hollywood Futurity 1997, 1999, 2000, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Malibu Stakes 2011, 2013, 2018, 2020, 2022 Metropolitan Handicap 2017, 2024 Ogden Phipps Stakes 2018 Pacific Classic Stakes 1999, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2020, 2023 Pat O'Brien Stakes 2009, 2010, 2011 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes 2017, 2020, 2024 Pennsylvania Derby 2017, 2018, 2022 Personal Ensign Stakes 2018 Pimlico Special Handicap 1999 Prioress Stakes 2004, 2008 Ramona Handicap 1999, 2000 Ruffian Stakes 2008, 2014 |
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| Racing awards | |
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| Honors | |
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| Significant horses | |
| Abel Tasman, American Pharoah, Arrogate, Authentic, Bayern, Behaving Badly, Bob and John, Bodemeister, Captain Steve, Chilukki, Citizen Bull, Congaree, Dortmund, Drefong, First Dude, Forestry, Game On Dude, Indian Blessing, Justify, Lookin At Lucky, Lord Nelson, Mastery, Medina Spirit, Midnight Lute, Midshipman, Misremembered, National Treasure, Pioneerof The Nile, Point Given, Real Quiet, Secret Circle, Silverbulletday, Silver Charm, Sinister Minister, Vindication, War Emblem, West Coast, Zensational | |
Robert A. Baffert (born January 13, 1953) is a famous American trainer of racehorses. Many people think he is one of the best and most important trainers in horse racing history. He is known for training two horses that won the Triple Crown: American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018.
Baffert's horses have won the Kentucky Derby six times. This ties the record for the most wins by a trainer. He holds the record for the most Preakness Stakes wins with eight victories. He has also won the Belmont Stakes and Kentucky Oaks three times each.
Contents
Early Life and Horse Racing Beginnings
Bob Baffert grew up on a ranch in Nogales, Arizona. His family raised cattle and chickens there. When he was 10, his dad bought some Quarter Horses. Bob practiced racing them on a dirt track.
As a teenager, he worked as a jockey in informal Quarter Horse races. He earned $100 a day. He won his first official race in 1970 when he was 17.
Baffert studied at the University of Arizona. He earned a science degree. Then, he started training Quarter Horses in Arizona. By age 20, he was known as a good trainer. Other trainers hired him to manage their stables.
In the 1980s, Baffert moved to California. He started training Thoroughbreds full-time in 1991. His first big win was in 1992. He won his first Breeder's Cup race with a horse named Thirty Slews.
Baffert became famous with horses that were not very expensive. For example, he bought Silver Charm for $16,500. He bought Real Quiet for $17,000. Another trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, said Baffert was great at finding good horses. He also knew how to find the best races for them.
Amazing Wins in Classic Races
Baffert's journey in the American Classic races began in 1996. He trained a horse named Cavonnier. It finished second in the Kentucky Derby. In 1997, he trained Silver Charm. This horse won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Silver Charm finished second in the Belmont.
The next year, Baffert had two top horses in the Derby. Real Quiet won the race, and Indian Charlie finished third. Real Quiet also won the Preakness. But like Silver Charm, Real Quiet just missed winning the Triple Crown. It finished second in the Belmont Stakes by a tiny bit. Baffert was the first trainer to win the Derby and Preakness in two years in a row.
Baffert won more classic races in 2001. He won the Preakness and Belmont Stakes with Point Given. Point Given later became a Hall of Fame horse. Baffert won the Derby for the third time in 2002 with War Emblem. This horse also won the Preakness. This gave Baffert his third chance at winning the Triple Crown. But War Emblem lost the Belmont Stakes.
In 2010, Baffert trained Lookin At Lucky. This horse won the Preakness Stakes. In 2012, Baffert's horse Bodemeister finished second in both the Derby and Preakness. Bodemeister was named after Baffert's youngest son.
In 2015, Baffert trained American Pharoah. This horse won the Triple Crown! It was the first horse to do so in 37 years. American Pharoah won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. Baffert was 62 years old. He became the second-oldest trainer to win a Triple Crown.
Baffert also trained Justify, who won the Triple Crown in 2018. In 2020, his horse Authentic won the Kentucky Derby. His horse Medina Spirit finished first in the 2021 Kentucky Derby. However, Medina Spirit was later disqualified. This led to Baffert being suspended from some racetracks.
Awards and Achievements
Bob Baffert has won many awards for his training skills. From 1997 to 1999, he won the Eclipse Award for outstanding trainer three years in a row. He also won the Big Sport of Turfdom Award in 1997.
In 2007, Baffert was added to the Lone Star Park's Hall of Fame. In 2009, he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame. A horse he trained, Silverbulletday, was also inducted that year.
Baffert has trained horses that won 17 American Classic Races. He also has 18 Breeders' Cup wins. His horses have won the Dubai World Cup four times and the Pegasus World Cup twice. He has won the Santa Anita Derby nine times. He also won the Haskell Invitational Handicap nine times. He has won the Del Mar Futurity a record 18 times! He won this race seven times in a row from 1996 to 2002.
In 2010, a horse named Misremembered won the Santa Anita Handicap. Baffert had bred this horse himself. This was his first major win as a breeder (someone who raises horses) instead of just a trainer.
About His Life
Bob Baffert has five children. He has four children from his first marriage: Taylor, Canyon, Forest, and Savannah. He married his second wife, Jill, in 2002. Jill used to be a TV reporter. They have a son named Bode, born in 2004. He was named after the skier Bode Miller. Baffert and his family live in California.
Baffert is also known for his kindness. After American Pharoah won the Triple Crown in 2015, Baffert made large donations. He gave money to charities that help retired racehorses. He also donated to a fund for jockeys who have been injured. He dedicated American Pharoah's win to a friend, Robert Z. "Bobby" Adair, who had passed away.
