ARCADIA — So far, Bob Baffert is looking as formidable as ever in his return to the Kentucky Derby trail.
Baffert has 2024 2-year-old champion Citizen Bull, Rodriguez and Madaket Road, the three favorites on the morning line, in the $200,000, Grade III Robert B. Lewis Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita on Saturday.
And they’re only a few of the Hall of Fame trainer’s roster of prospects for the May 3 Derby, a list that includes the high-priced colt Barnes, the talented but goofy Gaming and others drawing ante-post betting interest.
“So far” is the operative phrase in all that, in Baffert’s view.
“It’s too early (to tell) yet,” he said. “We’re not at the point for my owners to buy hotel rooms and Derby tickets.”
Baffert would have preferred not to run three horses – all owned by SF Racing, Starlet Racing, Madaket Stables and others – in the same race. But Santa Anita can’t fill many allowance-level races, so maiden winners like Rodriguez and Madaket Road get thrown into the stakes-level deep end to keep gaining experience. The Lewis Stakes is practically an all-Baffert contest, with Wesley Ward-trained Clock Tower and Jesus Mendoza-trained Valentines Candy long shots in the five-horse field.
Three weeks ago, Baffert had bigger worries. He and his wife Jill had to evacuate their house in La Cañada Flintridge for part of a day during the early stages of this month’s wildfires in Southern California, an episode he called “scary.”
But Wednesday, Baffert was able to relax in a director’s chair in the morning sun outside his barn at Santa Anita and talk about his nine young horses who went into 2025 widely recognized as Derby possibilities.
This is the first year the trainer of a record six Kentucky Derby winners has been able to speak about his horses as official Derby prospects since 2021, when the disqualification of Medina Spirit for a medication violation led to a suspension from Churchill Downs that stretched to three years before Baffert agreed to take responsibility for the violation and the ban was lifted.
Citizen Bull
The double Grade I winner, a son of leading North American stallion Into Mischief, is a narrow favorite at 6-5 on Jeff Siegel’s morning line for the one-mile Lewis Stakes with Martin Garcia in town to ride him again. It’s Citizen Bull’s first start since his front-running win at 15-1 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 1 at Del Mar clinched the age-group Eclipse Award.
Baffert said Citizen Bull is a “big, strong, heavy horse” who has only grown since November.
“He needs a race now,” said Baffert, who has won the Lewis six times in a row. “A lot of racing will benefit him.”
Rodriguez
The son of Authentic, Baffert’s 2020 Kentucky Derby winner and Horse of the Year, is the 7-5 second choice for the Lewis with Juan Hernandez riding. This is Rodriguez’s first try at the stakes level, but his 1:35.91 clocking for one mile in his maiden victory Jan. 4 at Santa Anita earned the highest Beyer speed figure (101) by any of this year’s 3-year-olds.
“I liked his race. He ran fast,” Baffert said, but he added: “He was out there on an easy lead, and he got everything his own way, which he’s not going to get this time.”
Madaket Road
The gray colt by Quality Road is 5-2 for the Lewis with Frankie Dettori taking over from Hernandez. After running second to Bullard in the Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar, Madaket Road showed he can come from off the pace when he broke his maiden Dec. 26 at Santa Anita. This will be his first try beyond 7 furlongs.
Baffert said he has been thinking of Madaket Road for the Sunland Park Derby on Feb. 16 in New Mexico, a race the trainer won with Wanna Runner (2006), Governor Charlie (2013) and Chitu (2014).
Barnes
Another Into Mischief offspring, a $3.2 million yearling-auction purchase by Saudi Arabia’s Amr F. Zedan, Barnes is 2 for 2 after romping with Hernandez aboard in the 7-furlong San Vicente Stakes on Jan. 4 at Santa Anita. He was bet down to the favorite (at 6-1) among individual horses in the latest round of official Kentucky Derby future betting Feb. 17-19.
Baffert isn’t saying where Barnes might run next – Santa Anita’s 3-year-old series continues with the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe Stakes on March 1 and the 1 1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby on April 5 – but it will be the colt’s first start around two turns.
“How many times have you seen horses run off the screen (in sprints), and then they go long and you can’t find them?” Baffert said. “He has to go the two turns.”
Getaway Car
By Curlin, and another member of the SF Racing partnership’s stable, he ran second to Citizen Bull in the American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita and Journalism in the Los Alamitos Futurity under Hernandez. Baffert backed off after the Dec. 14 Los Al race to “put a little weight on him.”
Baffert said Getaway Car has “a great mind” and will ship well, and is nominated to the $1.5 million Saudi Derby in Riyadh on Feb. 22.
Romanesque
Outrun by Barnes in the San Vicente with Mike Smith riding, the son of Practical Joke was almost entered in the Lewis but could go to the Sunland Park Derby or the Saudi Derby. He’s another for the SF Racing group.
“I like him,” Baffert said. “He’s a big, heavy, strong horse.”
Gaming
Game Winner, Baffert’s 2018 2-year-old champion, produced this Del Mar Futurity winner and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up for owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. Gaming had trouble after starting on the rail in his past two races.
“Right now it’s mental with him,” Baffert said. “I just have to figure him out.”
San Saba
By Justify, Baffert’s 2018 Triple Crown winner, San Saba earned his first win for owners Grier Brunson and Zane Kiehne on Saturday at Santa Anita. Baffert said he’ll need time before another race and “right now I wouldn’t say he’d be on the Derby trail.”
Varney
Varney finished third to San Saba in his career debut, but Baffert sounds higher on the son of Vekoma owned by Talla Racing, Spendthrift Farm and St. Elias Stables.
“I can see him maybe catching up to the rest of them,” Baffert said. “It’s amazing what one race will do for them.”
Baffert said his approach hasn’t changed in the four years since his last Kentucky Derby run: Try to keep horses healthy, let them develop and “bring themselves to the Derby.”
“They’re all in it until they’re not,” he said. “I’ll let you know in April. I’m week to week here.”
Follow horse racing correspondent Kevin Modesti at X.com/KevinModesti.