Bob Baffert has been coming to Del Mar since 1988, as a trainer, we mean. He won his first stakes at the East Coast racetrack in 1990. Now more than 30 years later, Baffert has become the winningest trainer at Del Mar with his 16 victories at the track. However, his beginnings at the racecourse are a story of inspiration and awe in the face of greatness.
Bill Mott is another legendary name that has graced the horse racing sports in America. With more than career 5,500 wins to his name, the 1998 Hall of Famer is an icon who even Bob Baffert revered. But the awe-inspiring spark that stirred Baffert was, in fact, Mott’s legendary horse, Cigar, as the iconic trainer shared on the recent Future Stars Forecast Show.
The two-time Triple Crown Champion was a guest on Ren Carothers’ show, which was uploaded to YouTube on August 13. And there, Bob Baffert shared a fond anecdote. “I remember when I first came to Del Mar, I mean, I was down here just starting,” Baffert said to Carothers. “And Bill Mott brought Cigar to Del Mar. It was a big deal. Remember, he was undefeated.”
Credits – X/@BobBaffert
American Pharoah is to Baffert what Cigar was to Bill Mott. The 1995 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner had won 16 races in a row, which included 11 G1 races. Bob Baffert knows a good horse; that’s how he has become an icon in the sport. And he knew how special Cigar was. Remembering how it played out, Baffert went, “The track was just open for the first 10 minutes to the horses that were running the Pacific Classic. And I remember my brother, my older brother Bill, he was there. So we ran up there to watch Cigar gallop.”
When he first set his eyes on the Palace Music colt, Baffert was not a professional trainer anymore. Wonder and admiration had taken over completely. “I remember I was like a little kid,” the 72-year-old said on the show. Baffert further shared, “I told Bill, ‘Boy, if I ever had a good horse like that, I would like to share him with everybody.’ Because when I saw him, it was like, it really meant a lot, you know.”
How poetic was it that years later, Bill Mott asked Bob Baffert to show American Pharoah, the legendary Triple Crown winner. This admiration from one Hall of Famer to another is what makes the sport regal. And of course, the horses that define the sport itself.
No American Pharoah, but Bob Baffert prepares for the challenge ahead
Bob Baffert didn’t have a great start to 2025. But Del Mar has salvaged his season somewhat. In fact, his favorite racetrack has got him dreaming of having a great end to the 2025 season. A little snag has obviously hit his charge to the Breeders’ Cup Classic. With Goal Oriented out, the six-time Kentucky Derby winner doesn’t have a credible runner for the $1.25 million Travers Stakes.
But Bob Baffert wants to look at the positives. He still has plenty to win. The Pennsylvania Derby is scheduled for September 20. Before that, he also has the Del Mar Futurity on September 7. Baffert’s usual suspects, Citizen Bull and Rodriguez, didn’t pan out in the Triple Crown races. But he will hope Baeza does the trick on September 20.
The McKenzie-sired colt has only trailed season favorites Sovereignty and Journalism in the races they have run together. But with those two Triple Crown race winners not in the Pennsylvania Derby field, Baeza may just score his first stakes win. What do you think?
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