Bob Baffert

Top Associated Horses: Conveyance, Spurrier, Via Veneto, Solar Rocket, Freedom Star, Victory Dancer

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2009 Record: (505-117-84-70)

2009 Earnings: $9,974,394

2009 Win %: 23% In-The-Money %: 53%

Born: Jan. 13, 1953, Nogales, Ariz.
Residence: Arcadia and Del Mar, Calif.
Family: wife Jill, sons Bode, Taylor, Canyon and Forest and daughter Savannah
Web site: www.bobbaffert.com
Racing Background: 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 at UA ... After a year of working different jobs following his college graduation, put together a small string of Quarter Horses at Rillito Downs in Tucson ... Moved his operation to Los Alamitos in 1983 ... Trained four Quarter Horse champions, including 1986 world champion Gold Coast Express ... Made transition to Thoroughbreds during the late 1980s, in large part due to the encouragement of owner Mike Pegram and Hal Earnhardt, and 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
Racing Career: Reached a career milestone in 2009 when he was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in August in his second year of eligibility … Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, whose own career mirrors Baffert’s, made the induction … Among the many there to support him were his mother, Ellie, who told The Blood-Horse it was “the highlight of her life,” and father Bill, who passed on his love of horses to Bob. … Also, inducted into the Hall of Fame along side Baffert was his two-time champion filly Silverbulletday, owned by Pegram … For the second straight year in 2008, won two Breeders’ Cup races when Midshipman won the Juvenile and Midnight Lute repeated in the Sprint off of just one prep race … The Breeders’ Cup victories brought his career total to seven. His other five were Silverbulletday (1998 Juvenile Fillies), Vindication (2002 Juvenile), Indian Blessing (2007 Juvenile Fillies), Midnight Lute (2007 Sprint) and Thirty Slews, his first in the 1992 Sprint … Thirty Slews, a $30,000 Keeneland yearling purchase was Baffert's first of many Thoroughbred purchases at a major sales ... 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), Point Given (2001 Preakness and Belmont) and War Emblem (2002 Kentucky Derby and Preakness) ... Returned to the Triple Crown trail in a big way in ’09 with Pioneerof the Nile, who finished second in the Kentucky Derby after leading briefly. He was subsequently retired after a poor performance in the Preakness … Won three straight Eclipse Awards from 1997-99 and led in national earnings four straight years from 1998-2001 ... Has trained 10 Eclipse champions – Midshipman, Indian Blessing, Midnight Lute, Chilukki, Point Given, Real Quiet, Silverbulletday, Silver Charm, Vindication and War Emblem, who collectively account for 12 titles ... Won the Dubai World Cup twice: in 1998 with Silver Charm and in 2001 with Captain Steve ... 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 … Major clients include include Mike Pegram, Hal and Patti Earnhardt, Karl Watson, Paul Weitman, John and Anita Connolly, Robert and Janice McNair’s Stonerside Stable, and Zayat Stable ... Major winners in 2009 include Richard’s Kid (G1Pacific Classic); Zensational (G1 Bing Crosby S. and G1 Pat O’Brien S.); Gabby’s Golden Gal (G1 Acorn S. and Sunland Park Oaks); Pioneerof the Nile (G1 Santa Anita Derby, G2 Robert Lewis S. and G2 San Felipe S.), and Misremembered (G2 Swaps)
Breeding/Racing Operation: Earned a first in 2009 when Misremembered became the first horse that Baffert bred to win a stakes when he captured the Swaps. Baffert said after the race that his longtime client, John Sikura, talked him into buying the mare, Beyond Perfection, breeding her to Candy Ride ... Misremembered runs in the name of Baffert's wife Jill and family friend George Jacobs.