Hall of Famer Bob Baffert is on a quest. A quest to make his perfect comeback and secure his seventh Kentucky Derby title and make him the outright leader for Kentucky Derby wins. But the road to the Kentucky Derby is a treacherous one filled with twists and turns. It only takes a race or two for a horse’s stock to dramatically rise… or fall. With his years of experience, it’s a fact that Baffert is surely well aware of, especially with the way the Santa Anita Derby panned out.

Bob Baffert is currently navigating a fresh challenge on the path to the Kentucky Derby because of what transpired in the latest preparatory race. The Santa Anita Derby generated significant excitement among fans, largely due to the involvement of Baffert’s two horses, Citizen Bull and Barnes. But Michael McCarthy’s Journalism was also on the grid, entering the race as the favorite. And well, the colt lived up to those expectations.

The race, spanning 1 1/8 miles, concluded with a time of 1:49.56, as Journalism crossed the finish line first, followed by Baeza and Westwood in second and third places, respectively. According to the official Kentucky Derby website, his victory has earned Journalism 75 qualifying points for the Run for the Roses, reinforcing his standing for the upcoming race at Churchill Downs, bringing his total to 122.5 points, in a blow to Baffert.

Journalism’s win has elevated the horse to the second position in the standings, trailing Sandman, who has 129 points. But what’s the situation with the two horses trained by Baffert? In an unexpected twist, Citizen Bull and Barnes finished in fourth and fifth place, respectively. The leaderboard reveals that Citizen Bull has amassed a total of 71.25 points, whereas Barnes trails behind with 26.25 points.

After the race, Baffert spoke about Citizen Bull’s conditioning: “I was discouraged he didn’t get the win today,” Baffert said. “He got tired. He’s a heavy horse. The track was deep today. We will figure this out. We have a week, and then we’ll decide what is next.” With these results, Citizen Bull is in 10th place in the standings, though is still expected to make the Kentucky Derby.

But Barnes’ hopes look to be extinguished as he languishes in 26th place. All Baffert said about him was, “We need to regroup. We didn’t see the right Barnes today. It happens.” What adds salt to the wound is the fact that Santa Anita Park is often considered Baffert’s home track, while the Santa Anita Derby is one he’s won a whopping 9 times. But despite the disappointment in California, Baffert had a lot to rejoice in elsewhere.

Rodriguez comes in clutch for Bob Baffert

While Santa Anita Park didn’t deliver the perfect results for Bob Baffert, the story was different on the other side of the country at the Aqueduct Park in New York. Because at the G2 Wood Memorial, Baffert’s Rodriguez, ridden by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, rolled to victory after leading the race from beginning to end. His time of 1:48.15 for the 1 1/8-mile race was, in fact, the second-best recorded time since 2006, behind Mo Donegal‘s in 2022 (1:47.96). “It was serious time, and I’m pretty excited about it,” Baffert said.

With this win Rodriguez has earned himself a cool 100 points in the Kentucky Derby standings, propelling him to third place with 121.25 points. Some may say that Rodriguez is just taking after his father, Authentic, also trained by Baffert and the 2020 Kentucky Derby winner.

“Rodriguez was immature, just like his sire,” said Bob Baffert. “Then Authentic came around and found himself.” Well, with this win, could we be seeing Rodriguez start to find himself too? With the Kentucky Derby only less than a month away, Baffert is certainly hoping so.

“We’re not looking for points. We’re looking for horses who can win the Kentucky Derby, and that was pretty awesome. Very impressive,” added Baffert, speaking from California. “This is what we have been looking for from him.”

With Citizen Bull and Barnes looking shaky, Rodriguez’s decisive win couldn’t have come at a more opportune moment for the 72-year-old. But on May 3rd, which horse will emerge on top? Journalism may have the momentum, but if there’s one thing we know about Bob Baffert, it’s that you can never count him and his horses out.