Tag Archives: Bob Baffert

Preakness 2023: National Treasure all the way

By Jarrod Horak The 2023 Preakness Stakes played out in real time just the way it looked on paper. National Treasure broke smoothly from the inside post, got to the front with relative ease, and held off Blazing Sevens in the lane to win by a head. Kentucky Derby winner Mage was third.  The complexion […]

Preakness 2023: First Mission scratch alters pace

By Jarrod Horak The 2023 Preakness Stakes lost a major contender when First Mission scratched on Friday morning due to a problem with his left-hind ankle. How does that defection impact the race? Let’s find out.  I wrote an article about the Preakness pace scenario earlier this week and stated that there were only three […]

Preakness 2023 Report: Pace Analysis

By Jarrod Horak The 2023 Preakness field is set and Mage is the 8-5 morning line favorite. His biggest hurdle might be the lack of pace in the paper race, and in this report we will take a look at the likely race shape. There are no confirmed front runners in the field so we […]

Preakness 2023: Confidence Game, Disarm out

By Jarrod Horak The Preakness 2023 field currently stands at eight after two defections and one addition. Confidence Game is out for trainer Keith Desormeaux. He came out of the Derby with a sore shoulder and will miss the second jewel of the Triple Crown.  In late breaking news, Disarm, most recently seen running fourth […]

Preakness 2023 Report: Early Preview

By Jarrod Horak There are currently nine horses under consideration for Preakness 2023, and Kentucky Derby winner Mage is one of them. The lightly raced Good Magic colt came out of his victory on the first Saturday in May in good order. He was a 15-1 longshot last weekend and is expected to be the […]

Kentucky Derby 2023 Report: Forte still on top

By Jarrod Horak As mentioned in my previous Kentucky Derby 2023 report, Todd Pletcher dominated the points races in March with Forte, Tapit Trice, and Kingsbarns. Fast forward to April, and the more things change the more they stay the same. Forte cemented his status as the Kentucky Derby favorite by winning the Florida Derby […]

Kentucky Derby 2023 Report: Tapit Trice Triumphs

By Jarrod Horak The road to Kentucky Derby 2023 is suddenly Todd Pletcher’s playground. His talented juvenile champion Forte was excellent in his seasonal bow in the Fountain of Youth, and he is the solid Derby favorite after that easy victory on March 4. Fast forward one week, and his $1.3 million Tapit colt Tapit […]

Kentucky Oaks 2023 Report: Florida shocker

By Jarrod Horak We saw the biggest shocker yet on the road to Kentucky Oaks 2023. That stunning result was in the Davona Dale at Gulfstream Park on March 4. Dorth Vader pressed the pace and kicked clear to score as a 46-1 outsider. She is probably not a top Oaks contender but that sure […]

Dillinger: Improving and May Enjoy Routes

Three year old colt for Bob Baffert made start #2 on Saturday at ¾ on the main for three year olds in a maiden special weight event. Off as the 3/5 choice in a field of six, he ended up being on the rail when that horse was scratched, and he didn’t have the best […]

Pleasant: Bred for Anything and Everything

Three year old filly for Bob Baffert made her debut on Saturday in a maiden special weight affair at six and a half on the main. Off at 9/2 in a field of 7, she made the running right from the get go and dueled for the early lead through fractions of 22.04 and 44.96 […]