DEL MAR — Bob Baffert’s return to eligibility for the Kentucky Derby couldn’t have started any better when he won the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on the first day of the two-day event that is considered the Super Bowl of horse racing. Citizen Bull not only won the race, but the other two Baffert runners, Gaming and Getaway Car, finished second and fourth, respectively.
Friday’s first day of the Breeders’ Cup is for 2-year-olds, all of whom will turn 3 and become eligible for the Kentucky Derby on Jan. 1.
“I wish they could dead heat one, two, three, but it didn’t happen,” Baffert said. “But I’m excited for the connections, for the group, all the owners involved. … They supported me [during the suspension]. They’ve been with me all the way. They have trust in me.”
In theory, the race was over from the start as the Into Mischief colt, ridden by Martin Garcia, led from gate to wire, holding his 1½-length lead throughout the stretch after benefiting from slow opening fractions. He was a $675,000 purchase for a consortium of owners that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables.
Garcia, who used to be a regular rider for Baffert, has returned to Southern California and picked up the mount.
“I went to the bullpen, I got Martin,” Baffert said. “[The owners] were good with it, let’s do it. And sometimes you have to do that. It’s like baseball, it’s like managing. So, you looked like [Dodger] Walker Buehler out there in the last inning [of the World Series].”
A couple of years ago Tom Ryan put together a group of owners who pooled their considerable money, gave it to Baffert, who was told to go buy some winners. The group also owns last year’s Preakness winner National Treasure, who also won this year’s Pegasus World Cup.
The group has been loyal to Baffert during his three-year suspension from Churchill Downs after Medina Spirit was disqualified for a medication violation after finishing first in the 2021 Derby. Citizen Bull paid $33.80 to win. It was Baffert’s sixth Juvenile win.
Citizen Bull also won the American Pharoah at Santa Anita and now has 40 qualifying points for the Derby, which is very likely to get the horse in the starting gate at Churchill Downs.
“Right now, it’s too far out, and you really don’t know if you have a Derby horse until about January or February,” Baffert said. “Things happen. So, I don’t get too far ahead of myself. I just focus on what’s in front of me this week or next week. It’s good to be in the conversation. But it’s still a long ways off.”
Baffert did not fare so well in the $2 million Juvenile Fillies, which was won by Immersive ($6.00) for trainer Brad Cox and ridden by Manny Franco. Baffert’s Nooni finished sixth.
The biggest favorite on Friday was Lake Victoria ($3.40), and she won the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf by 1 ½ lengths. She stayed unbeaten winning her fifth race and first start in the United States. She went off at $0.70 on the dollar.
She ran mid-pack for the first half of the race, moved up to second at the top of the stretch and then coasted home.
The unwritten rule to only bet foreign horses in Breeders’ Cup turf races was three for three, with all the winners coming from Ireland. Magnum Force ($27.00) won the $1 million Juvenile Turf Sprint and Henry Matisse ($9.80) won the $1 million Juvenile Turf.
There are nine Breeders’ Cup races on Saturday, all worth $1 million or more.
