Bob Baffert is confident in his pursuit of a seventh Kentucky Derby title. Why wouldn’t he be? He has several horses in the mix, some of them real contenders too. But before May 3rd, Baffert does need to ensure the right horses are set up well for the starting line for the first leg of the Triple Crown. With a little over a month to go, the Arkansas Derby is an ideal opportunity for Baffert to observe one of his horses: Cornucopian.

This esteemed Grade 1 horse race at Oaklawn Park boasts an impressive $1.5 million purse, but that’s not the only attraction. This event plays a pivotal role as a preparatory race for the Kentucky Derby, awarding qualifying points (100-50-25-15-10) to the leading finishers, which will greatly help the top 3 finishers with their chances of participating in the prestigious Run for the Roses. However, Baffert is up against a challenging lineup. One contender that may pose a challenge to Cornucopian is Coal Battle.

The horse trained by Lonnie Briley currently has 70 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby standings, and a win at Oaklawn Park will rocket him up to the top of the leaderboard. What insights does his trainer have regarding the upcoming race?

On X, the Kentucky Derby featured an interview in which Briley discussed Coal Battle, saying, “He’s won four stakes in a row, the Jean Lafitte, the Springboard Mile, the Smarty Jones, the Rebel Stakes, and hopefully the Arkansas Derby. He likes what he’s doing, obviously, and he stays happy. I mean, knock on wood, he hadn’t been flattened out yet, you know, so I still know his boundaries, you know, so the closer it gets to the paddock, the tougher the race gets, you know, and hopefully we can get a clean trip, you know, and he gets to run his race, you know. That’s all I can hope for.”

Coal Battle is a formidable competitor, and Briley takes great pride in his accomplishments in his latest races. The three-year-old colt is currently enjoying a winning streak, and the trainer is optimistic about maintaining this momentum in the Arkansas Derby as well. If he manages to do so, Coal Battle will elevate himself to the leading position in the standings with an impressive total of 170 points.

Moreover, Briley revealed that, despite being his trainer, he has yet to witness the colt’s full potential, indicating that the best is yet to come. Nonetheless, he anticipates that this race will serve as the ideal opportunity for Coal Battle to showcase his genuine speed. Only time will reveal the performance of the equine sensation at Oaklawn Park. But it’s worth noting that Bob Baffert has expressed confidence in his horse leading up to the race.

Bob Baffert is looking forward to the Arkansas Derby

Among horse racing enthusiasts, Cornucopian is likely to be the top pick in the forthcoming Arkansas Derby. Nevertheless, many individuals perceived the three-year-old colt as just another ordinary horse. Clearly, the perspectives within the community were varied.

Recall the moment when Matthew DeSantis responded to track announcer Matt Dinerman, stating, “The CA invader, Cornucopian, for Bob Baffert strutting his stuff at @OaklawnRacing ahead of the Arkansas Derby. Can he win it? The comments to Matt’s post say it all. One says Sandman tracks him down and another claims the horse will win the Triple Crown.”

The horse racing analyst expressed that there is considerable excitement surrounding Bob Baffert’s colt. In fact, many fans see him as an upcoming sensation in American horse racing.

Nonetheless, skepticism persists, and to address the various assertions, Bob Baffert expressed his views on Cornucopian, saying, “I waited for the work. He’s nominated everywhere. I could have run him in the Lexington (April 12 at Keeneland) or whatever. He’s a big, strong, beautiful horse, and he shipped and ran really well up there, going six furlongs. That was a pretty stiff race into him. He came back and worked well. The pace makes the race. He’ll be forwardly placed. I think we’re all going to know the answer turning for home. I just hope he’s right there.”

Bob Baffert certainly recognized the buzz surrounding his horse, hoping he could capitalize. Additionally, he highlighted the inaugural win in which jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. guided the colt to an immediate lead, clocking remarkable times of 21.86 seconds for the first quarter-mile and 45.50 seconds for the half-mile. He completed the six furlongs in a time of 1:09.02. Naturally, Baffert is anticipating the horse to demonstrate a comparable level of skill at Oaklawn Park today to put him in a good spot leading up to the Derby.