$750,000 Win Raises Bob Baffert’s Hopes as Barnes Fails to Enter Kentucky Derby

For horse racing fans, the month of May means one thing only: that it’s time for the Kentucky Derby. Held on the first Saturday of every May, the Kentucky Derby promises to be a veritable feast of thrills, spills, and action. But this year’s Run for the Roses holds a special significance as it marks the return of Bob Baffert to Churchill Downs for the first time since his suspension in 2021. As always, Baffert has a number of horses in the mix for the first leg of the American Triple Crown, and while some have soared, others have sunk.

Of those horses, discussion has swirled around Baffert’s Citizen Bull and Barnes, following their participation in the Santa Anita Derby. Citizen Bull, considered Baffert’s top horse in the Road to the Kentucky Derby, was expected to deliver a good result, while Barnes had to in order to keep his Kentucky Derby chances alive. But in an unforeseen twist, the two horses ended the race in fourth and fifth place, respectively. Citizen Bull remains in the clear still, but unfortunately for Barnes, fifth place was simply not good enough. He’s all the way down in 26th place in the leaderboard, meaning he’ll be taken off the trail. But all hope is not lost.

Because across the country, one Baffert horse excelled, acquiring some big points leading up to the Kentucky Derby. We’re talking about Rodriguez, who took the G2 Wood Memorial in New York by storm, decisively stamping his victory and securing the $750,000 purse. He arrived with 21.25 points in the standings but left 100 points richer with his new total of 121.25 points, putting him in third place and all but guaranteeing his spot at the Kentucky Derby.

At Aqueduct Park, the three-year-old colt had his chance, and boy, did he take it. With Hall of Famer Mike Smith holding the reins, the horse dominated from start to finish. With a rapid departure from the rail, Rodriguez set the tempo with initial splits of :23.31 and :47.44, holding a commanding lead over Captain Cook.

Upon entering the final stretch, Rodriguez surged ahead, completing the 1 1/8-mile race with a time of 1:48.15, ultimately clinching a victory by 3 1/2 lengths over the second-place finisher, Grande. Contributing to the dominant victory is the fact that Rodriguez posted the second-best time since 2006 at the Wood Memorial, second only to Mo Donegal‘s time of 1:47.96 in 2022.

And Bob Baffert? He was all praise.  “We’re looking for horses who can win the Kentucky Derby and that was pretty awesome. Very impressive. This is what we have been looking for from him,” stated the 72-year-old trainer. Furthermore, he was also impressed with Rodriguez’s speed. “It was serious time, and I’m pretty excited about it.”

Top Comment by Torosan

He was banned from Churchill Downs for good reason,should be for lifetime.

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Watching one of his horses succeed and secure those vital points for a place in the Kentucky Derby has undoubtedly improved Bob Baffert’s confidence. The competition was fierce, yet Baffert’s horse managed to clinch the victory in style. And with the victory, comes a massive boost for the Kentucky Derby.

Rodriguez: Improving Bob Baffert’s chances at the Kentucky Derby

Up until Rodriguez’s big win, it was Citizen Bull who was considered Baffert’s golden ticket to the Kentucky Derby. But now, all the attention, and perhaps some of the momentum, has shifted to Rodriguez. Not only has he done well to secure his spot in the Kentucky Derby, he has also emerged as a true contender.

After all, his is the blood of champions. Because Rodriguez was fathered by Authentic, another Baffert horse who was also the Kentucky Derby champion in 2020. “He’s a May baby that is really starting to come into himself at the right time, not widely different from his father. Authentic took a while to mature, not necessarily physically, but the mental aspect needed to come together,” said jockey Mike Smith, as per BloodHorse.

If Rodriguez does indeed follow in his father’s footsteps and lives up to that “May baby” moniker, then we could be in for quite the intriguing race come May 3. His latest victory also potentially gives Baffert 3 entrants for the Kentucky Derby—Rodriguez, Citizen Bull, and Madaket Road—which only bodes well for his aspirations of securing that elusive 7th victory.

And if Rodriguez does ascend to the top like his father, then a lot of the credit will have to go to Bob Baffert and his keen eye for talent. As co-owner Tom Ryan revealed, “Bob saw him out back and said to me, ‘I really want to see that horse in the back ring and get a feel for him.'”

Although he had seen him once before, Bob Baffert sensed something special and wanted another look. “He had seen him at the barn, but he wanted to see him again and how he reacted,” continued Ryan. “That colt came up there and just stuck his chest out and said, ‘I’m the man.’ Bob came to me and said, ‘I want him.'” And it looks like his faith in the horse is beginning to be reciprocated. On April 8th, Rodriguez will be shipped back out to California to prepare for the Kentucky Derby.

As the Kentucky Derby draws ever closer, Journalism looks to be the frontrunner, but you can never underestimate Bob Baffert and his horses. Journalism has already beaten Rodriguez and Citizen Bull, but what matters is what happens on Derby Day. Mystik Dan emerged as the dark horse last year to win it all; will Rodriguez channel the spirit of his father to walk away with the garland of roses this time?