Enthusiasts of horse racing are buzzing with anticipation for the forthcoming Kentucky Derby, and who could blame them? The first leg of the American Triple Crown will soon be upon us, and this year, the Churchill Downs race will prominently showcase Bob Baffert. The 72-year-old has returned from his suspension, now setting his sights on achieving a remarkable record seventh Kentucky Derby victory.

Nonetheless, the races leading up to the Kentucky Derby have presented a considerable challenge for Baffert’s horses. It’s a bit of a juggling game as the horse trainer is managing several horses, who all have a chance to make it to the Derby. This time, Baffert has shifted his focus to Madaket Road, who currently has 31 points on the leaderboard.

On X, horse racing photographer J. McLaughlin Safford shared, “Madaket Road worked 5F in 1:00.80 this morning under Martin Garcia for HoF trainer Bob Baffert.” It has now been a month since Madaket Road last participated in a race; On February 23, he competed in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park, securing a second-place finish. But that is soon set to change as the horse has been registered for the G1 Florida Derby on March 29th at Gulfstream Park.

With the 3-year-old colt also potentially entering the G1 Blue Grass Stakes in April, the latest news of his training session demonstrated that he continues to be an important contender in the Road to the Kentucky Derby for Bob Baffert.

With less than a week remaining until the race, conducting a workout with his colt will provide insight into its performance ahead of the event. It also represents a key opportunity for Madaket Road to rack up some much-needed points, as he’s now dropped to 17th in the standings. But Madaket Road isn’t the only horse that Bob Baffert is focused on.

Bob Baffert is getting his horses ready

A few days earlier on X, @sdhorserace shared, “Trainer Bob Baffert worked Barnes and Gaming Monday at @santaanitapark. Barnes posted a 6-furlong bullet 1:11.8 (1/4) while Gaming fired a 5-furlong bullet in :59. (1/76). Baffert says he’ll know more next week as to where his Derby contenders will run next.” This development marks an important moment for the two horses, as the Derby is just weeks away now and it’s crunch time for all the horses.

Recall the moment when Gaming was poised to take to the track at the Virginia Derby. Bob Baffert shared his thoughts on his horse, saying, “It’s a mile and an eighth, one turn, we’ll give him one more crack at it. The Oaklawn race was horrendous. He didn’t get anything out of that. He’s come back and worked well. He was stuck in the one-hole in each of his last two starts and had disastrous trips. I just want to get him back on track. We know he’s a good horse.”

Despite the lackluster performances in the past, Baffert maintained his unwavering confidence in his horse. However, a last-minute change resulted in Getaway Car participating in the Virginia Derby instead of Gaming. But Getaway Car was unable to capitalize on this chance, ultimately finishing in fourth place in the race.

Perhaps this could have influenced Bob Baffert’s decisions regarding Barnes and Gaming. At Santa Anita Park, the two horses underwent their workout session, and despite covering different distances, both horses demonstrated impressive pacing abilities. And only time will reveal Baffert’s intentions for them, as he continues his planning.