Bob Baffert may not have won any Breeders’ Cup races in 2023 at Santa Anita, but his contingent gave him two seconds and purse earnings that padded his all-time lead in that category. And Baffert reported that all of his runners returned well from their efforts.
National Treasure and Muth ran second in their respective races, the Dirt Mile (G1) and Juvenile (G1). National Treasure turned in the most dramatic performance, leading through most of the race and then vying with crowd favorite Cody’s Wish in the stretch to lose by just a nose.
“I’m proud of him—he showed up and showed what he could do,” Baffert said. “He just got beat by a horse that has the heart of a champion.”
With the Dirt Mile a $1 million race, National Treasure earned $170,000, the third-highest of the Baffert runners this year. Muth collected the biggest paycheck of the Baffert barn—$340,000—in the $2 million Juvenile. His second to Fierceness netted him almost double what he earned in winning the American Pharoah Stakes (G1).
“The 2-year-olds are fine—we’ll just find spots for them down the road,” Baffert said. “Prince of Monaco (who finished fifth in the Juvenile) got cut off in the first turn. I didn’t like those posts for those horses.”
Prince of Monaco, undefeated in three starts going into the Breeders’ Cup, drew post 2 in his first start around two turns. Wine Me Up , who ran eighth after finishing second in the American Pharoah, drew post 3. Muth, who now has two wins and two seconds in four starts, drew post 10.
Baffert had nothing but praise for Fierceness, who posted a winning margin of 6 1/4 lengths and a time of 1:41.90 for 1 1/16 miles.
“The horse that won it—we weren’t going to beat him; he freaked,” Baffert said. “That was a serious race. He ran fast.”
Fierceness clocked the fastest Juvenile since Midshipman ‘s 1:40.94 in 2008 at Santa Anita. Baffert trained Midshipman, who holds the stakes record when the Juvenile has been conducted at 1 1/16 miles. In three of its first four runnings, the Juvenile was a mile.
“I was proud of Muth,” said Baffert. “I really thought at the three-eighths pole Muth was just going to come on and ‘get ‘er done.’ Breeders’ Cup races are tough because they’re all good horses. These races are hard to win.”
Three-year-old Arabian Knight earned $300,000 for finishing fourth in the $6 million Classic (G1), behind 4-year-old White Abarrio , 3-year-old Derma Sotogake , and 5-year-old Proxy . Arabian Knight, under jockey Flavien Prat, led for a mile of the 1 1/4-mile trip, posting fractions of :22.46, :45.73, 1:10.28, and 1:35.29. White Abarrio’s final time was 2:02.87.
“I thought Arabian Knight ran unbelievable,” Baffert said. “I knew the pace was going to be ridiculous.” The trainer chuckled and added, “Prat said he could have won the Sprint (G1) or the (Dirt) Mile yesterday—he’s so brilliant. But I wanted to run him in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. I think with the right kind of trip, and he’s still learning—he’s a young horse.”
Baffert said that Arabian Knight will run next year, though the trainer has not yet mapped out a schedule for him.
Adare Manor brought a five-race winning streak into the Distaff (G1) that included four consecutive graded stakes victories. Sent away the 4-1 third choice behind Idiomatic , the 9-5 favorite and eventual winner, Adare Manor was caught a little tight between horses during the stretch run and finished seventh as several horses tried—and failed—to catch the winner.
“She got away a little slow,” Baffert said. “We knew we were up against it with those good mares. She didn’t get her trip. But she came out of it fine and she’s going to run again.”
Speed Boat Beach , in only his second start back after 10 months off, finished fourth in the Sprint behind Elite Power , Gunite , and Nakatomi . He led until the stretch, traveling a quarter-mile in :21.99 and a half-mile in :44.35.
“He was on the lead,” Baffert said. “He got beat by good horses. Those are really good horses. The Breeders’ Cup is like the playoffs—everybody’s good.”
When the 2023 Baffert team’s earnings were added to his previous purse earnings, which include 18 wins, his total is $40,385,000, the most of any trainer. Second is European trainer Aidan O’Brien, with $33,795,590. O’Brien won two Breeders’ Cup races this year.
“The Europeans are unbelievable—they’re just so good,” Baffert said. “Those guys bring some good horses over here.”
The day after the races, Baffert was philosophical about the barn’s performance.
“We’re disappointed—we got a couple seconds out of it—but they ran well. We just got beat. They all came back great with no issues. That’s the important thing.”
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