Bob Baffert | Horse Racing Free Tips

Baffert Tabs Mike Smith To Ride Concert Tour In 146th Preakness Stakes

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said Tuesday morning that the time was right for Gary and Mary West's Concert Tour to jump onto the Triple Crown trail in the 146th Preakness Stakes (G1) May 15 at Pimlico Race Course.

“We figure, this is the race,” Baffert said by phone from Santa Anita. “The Derby is run. A lot of horses, they went through a lot to get here. He's sort of a fresh horse. In the Rebel, he looked so good.”

Concert Tour, who captured the March 13 Rebel (G2) at Oaklawn by 4 ¼ lengths, was withdrawn from consideration for last Saturday's Kentucky Derby (G1) after finishing third as the 3-10 favorite in the Arkansas Derby (G1) on April 10. Baffert made the decision to point the son of Street Sense to the Preakness instead and he confirmed this week that the colt will indeed compete in the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown. Concert Tour is scheduled to clash with stablemate Medina Spirit, who gave Baffert his record seventh Kentucky Derby success with a gutsy front-running victory at Churchill Downs.

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will ride Concert Tour for the first time in the Preakness.

Since the Arkansas Derby, Concert Tour has worked twice at Churchill Downs. Baffert watched him breeze five furlongs in 1:00.60 Sunday morning and decided he should stay on course for the Preakness. Concert Tour will work again this weekend before shipping to Baltimore early next week.

Baffert said that he made changes in strategy after Medina Spirit was second as the favorite in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 3. Putting the colt on the lead in the Derby led to his triumph. Meanwhile, he's had to fine-tune his approach with Concert Tour.

“We're getting to know these horses,” Baffert said. “He's lightly raced, but we've learned a lot about him. So we make adjustments and here we are.

“We know what we need to do, just like Medina Spirit. You get beat and you figure it out,” he added. “You learn more from your losses: what a horse likes, what he doesn't like. Did I have him ready? I make notes and figure out what's wrong. Three weeks just wasn't enough to really feel comfortable to go in there and Gary West really didn't feel comfortable running in the Derby after a race like that.”

Baffert said he spoke with Gary West after Concert Tour's Sunday morning workout and they decided to continue with the plan to run at Pimlico.

“He asked me, 'Did he work well enough to run in the Preakness?'” Baffert said. “I said, 'Yes, he did. He worked well.'”

Once that question was answered, the Wests did not hesitate to make plans for the Preakness.

“That's why they are in the business and that's why they want to try for it,” Baffert said. “If you can run in the Preakness and win the Preakness, it's a very exciting race.”

Concert Tour entered the Arkansas Derby unbeaten in three starts and a top candidate to be among the Kentucky Derby favorites. He faltered, though, forcing to Baffert to change his schedule.

“We'll find out. Let's see how good he is,” Baffert said. “Maybe he's good or maybe not as good as we thought he was. We're going to find out next week.”

Zedan Racing's Medina Spirit could resume training Wednesday at Churchill Downs as the 3-year-old colt prepares for the Preakness Stakes. Medina Spirit had his third scheduled walk day Tuesday after his 12-1 upset Derby victory.

Jimmy Barnes, Baffert's top assistant who is overseeing the training of Medina Spirit and the stable's other horses at Churchill Downs, said Concert Tour returned to the track Tuesday morning after a day off following Sunday's five-furlong workout.

“Concert Tour jogged. Medina walked again today. We'll talk to Bob and see if he wants to go another day or jog him tomorrow or something,” Barnes said. “Everyone is very healthy. I couldn't be happier with them.”

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Concert Tour Confirmed for Preakness

Bob Baffert confirmed to the Maryland Jockey Club press department Tuesday that 'TDN Rising Star' Concert Tour (Street Sense) will contest next Saturday's GI Preakness S., taking on GI Kentucky Derby-winning stablemate Medina Spirit (Protonico).

“We figure, this is the race,” Baffert said. “The Derby is run. A lot of horses, they went through a lot to get here. He's sort of a fresh horse. In the Rebel, he looked so good.”

Gary and Mary West homebred Concert Tour began his career three-for-three, taking Santa Anita's GII San Vicente S. Feb. 6 before stretching out effectively to romp in the GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Mar. 13. One of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby after that, he disappointed at short odds when third in the GI Arkansas Derby Apr. 10 and was subsequently removed from Derby consideration.

Baffert said after taking Concert Tour off the Derby trail that the Preakness would likely be the target, and that decision was firmed up after the bay breezed five furlongs in 1:00.60 (5/16) under the Twin Spires Sunday morning.

“[Gary West] asked me, 'Did he work well enough to run in the Preakness?'” Baffert said. “I said, 'Yes, he did. He worked well.'”

Baffert continued, “That's why they are in the business and that's why they want to try for it. If you can run in the Preakness and win the Preakness, it's a very exciting race.”

He added, “Let's see how good he is. Maybe he's good or maybe not as good as we thought he was. We're going to find out next week.”

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Medina Spirit Rises To No. 1 On NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll; Malathaat Jumps To Fifth

Following his stirring half-length victory in Saturday's Grade 1 147th Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve, Zedan Racing Stables' Medina Spirit, has risen to No. 1 in this week's National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top 3-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll.

Sent away at 12-1, Medina Spirit, a Florida-bred son of Protonico, gave Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert a record seventh Kentucky Derby win and a fourth Derby victory for Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez. Medina Spirit, seventh in last week's poll, received 34 first-place votes and 374 points to take over the top spot from Godolphin's 2020 2-year-old champion Essential Quality, who finished fourth as the 5-2 Derby favorite. Trained by Brad Cox, the previously unbeaten Essential Quality, who led the Top 3-Year Old Poll since the first week on Feb. 16, is now in second place, with two first-place votes and 315 points.

The Cox-trained Mandaloun, who finished second in the Derby by a half-length, moves from 12th to third place this week. Owned by Juddmonte, Mandaloun has 284 points. Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, Strauss Bros Racing and Gainesway Thoroughbreds' Hot Rod Charlie, third in the Derby, drops back one position to fourth place with 266 points for trainer Doug O'Neill.

Shadwell Stable's bay filly, Malathaat, zooms from 20th to fifth place following her dramatic win by a neck over Search Results in the Grade 1 147th Longines Kentucky Oaks last Friday. The undefeated Malathaat, trained by Todd Pletcher, has one first-place vote and 179 points.

Gary and Mary West's homebred Concert Tour, winner of the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn, rises from eighth to sixth place in the poll. Also trained by Baffert, Concert Tour has 95 points. A third Baffert-trained runner in the top 10 is WinStar Farm and CHC's Life is Good, who improved from ninth to seventh place. Off the Triple Crown trail due to injury, Life is Good has one first-place vote and 94 points.

Another major mover this week was Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior, who captured Saturday's Grade 2 Pat Day Mile presented by LG&E and KU. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Jackie's Warrior goes from 31st to eighth place, garnering 82 points. Hronis Racing and Talla Racing's Rock Your World, drops from second to 9th place this week after a 17th-place finish in the Derby while being compromised at the start. Trained by John Sadler, Rock Your World has 69 points. Maintaining 10th place is another Asmussen-trained colt, Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon, who finished sixth in the Derby and has 65 points.

Godolphin's 4-year-old Group 1 Dubai World Cup winner Mystic Guide, Group 1 Saudi Cup runner-up Charlatan, and reigning older dirt female champion Monomoy Girl again hold down the top three positions in this week's National Thoroughbred Poll. Trained by Mike Stidham, Mystic Guide received 31 first-place votes and 350 points. The Baffert-trained 4-year-old Charlatan has six first-place votes and 322 points. The 6-year-old mare Monomoy Girl, trained by Cox, is in third place with 229 points.

Robert and Lawana Low's 4-year-old Colonel Liam (199 points), who finished in a dead heat for first with Domestic Spending in Saturday's Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes at Churchill Downs, is now in fourth place, exchanging positions with Korea Racing Authority's Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup winner Knicks Go (184 points).

Michael Lund Peterson's Eclipse Award-winning female sprinter Gamine (161 points), rises from seventh to sixth place after winning Saturday's Grade 1 Derby City Distaff presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery at Churchill Downs. St. George Stable's 5-year-old mare Letruska (141 points), who defeated Monomoy Girl in Oaklawn's Grade 1 Apple Blossom on April 17, is now in seventh place.

Godolphin's 4-year-old Maxfield re-enters the top 10, moving from 12th to eighth place with one first-place vote and 133 points after taking last Friday's Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes presented by Sentient Jet at Churchill Downs. The Cox-trained 4-year-old filly Shedaresthedevil (84 points), winner of Churchill's Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes presented by TwinSpires, jumps from 14th to ninth place. Competing the Top 10 is Klaravich Stable's 4-year-old Domestic Spending (55 points), who climbs to 10th from 56th place in last week's poll off the dead heat with Colonel Liam.

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport's most comprehensive surveys of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Voting in the Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll concludes following the Belmont Stakes on June 5 and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through Nov. 6.

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Nothing Plain About Bob Baffert

When Bob Baffert won a record seventh GI Kentucky Derby May 1 with Medina Spirit (Protonico), I couldn't help but think back to the first time I met the conditioner.

Walking through the Keeneland barn area one mid-April morning in 1990, Baffert asked if I knew where the clockers were located at the track. We introduced ourselves to each other and I offered to show him the route to the press box, where the clockers were situated during training hours.

Baffert was in the process of switching from Quarter Horses to Thoroughbreds and had travelled to Keeneland with the first horse he hoped to run in the Derby–Thirty Slews.

Impressive winner of his first two starts in California the previous month, Baffert already had his sights set on racing's biggest prize. He shipped the son of Slewpy east to run in the Lexington S.

Thirty Slews ran third that day, behind Home At Last and Pleasant Tap, and shipped back to California while Unbridled won the Derby.

Though over the next three decades Baffert would strive–quite successfully–to find horses that could stay the Classic distance, it was apparent Thirty Slews could not.

He made 18 starts subsequent to the Lexington and only left California one other time. But the one time he did was monumental for Baffert.

Following a win in the 1992 Bing Crosby H., Thirty Slews was shipped to Florida, where he won the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Gulfstream Park for owners Mike Pegram, Mitch Degroot and Dutch Masters III.

Sent off at 19-1, Thirty Slews just got up by a neck over Meafara, who led every step of the way–except the last step.

Thirty Slews, the first Thoroughbred Baffert purchased at public auction ($30,000 at Keeneland September), had provided him with his first Grade I win.

It is interesting to think about this: Had Thirty Slews won the Lexington, Baffert may have run him in the Derby. A colt who was unraced at 2 and would have entered the starting gate on the first Saturday of May making just his fourth start.

Of course, no horse had won the Derby without racing as a juvenile since 1892 until Baffert did it with Justify in 2018, who would go on to become a Triple Crown winner.

And, it is Baffert who has redesigned the path to the Derby, proving you can run for–and win–the roses with fewer starts before the race than trainers thought horses needed not that many years ago.

Baffert took Thirty Slews, a $30,000 yearling, and turned him into a Grade I winner.

He took Medina Spirit–a $1,000 yearling turned $35,000 2-year-old–into a Derby winner.

A few races before Medina Spirit led every step of the way to win the Derby, Baffert trained Gamine won the GI Derby City Distaff, giving the trainer a record 220 Grade I wins.

Medina Spirit would give Baffert Grade I victory number 221.

But as he crossed the finish line, I was thinking about Baffert's first Grade I winner and the day I met the trainer at Keeneland.

With seven Derby scores, Baffert passed trainer “Plain Ben” Jones.

Since that spring day I first met Baffert 31 years ago, he has proven there is nothing plain about him.

He proved it once again May 1.

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