The Bob Baffert barn is still evolving and as what happens to all major stables, owners come and go. That is exactly what transpired recently to Baffert as prominent owner Kaleem Shah parted ways with the Hall of Fame trainer. Of course, breakups happen and this is not like the split between Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt but the Shah horses are potent.
During their years together, Bob Baffert trained several serious runners for Shah, including 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic hero Bayern and Dortmund, a Grade 1 winner that gave American Pharoah and California Chrome legit competition.
The reasons for the split have not been revealed but like any business, egos are huge and personal opinions are cherished. For bettors, the thing to focus on is the horses themselves and where they may be able to succeed in 2017.
Ironically, Dortmund will go to California Chrome’s trainer Art Sherman, who will also be welcoming Grade 1 winner Klimt.
Dortmund has obviously proven he can run with the best around and although Klimt has shown promise, he has to show he can carry his speed a route of ground. Bob Baffert watched Klimt’s debut and was not thrilled when the runner was hooked wide. The son of Quality Road won his next start and proved it was no fluke winning the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes. That set him up for a victory in the Del Mar Futurity at 7 furlongs but he failed in his final two races of 2016 when routing.
Sherman has options as far as Klimt is concerned but one option could be to ship to Dubai and earn the qualifying points to get into the Kentucky Derby. A logical plan would be to start in the February 11 UAE 2000 Guineas and then wheel back in the March 25 UAE Derby.
Sherman will also train stakes winner Power Jam, maiden winner Besides the Point and maidens Adorable and Beneficent.
Bob Baffert had Power Jam ready for his debut and he won at 2-5 at Santa Anita. The racer was given experience in his next few races and then won his stakes debut in the restricted Pirate’s Bounty in his Del Mar finale.
Besides the Point had a special place in Bob Baffert’s heart before he even raced because he is a full-brother to Power Jam and like his brother he won his debut in clever fashion. He just started training again recently and drilled a sharp 3-furlongs on December 27 at Los Alamitos.
Trainer Doug O’Neill will also receive some of the Shah runners. O’Neill had a brief relationship with the owner years ago. His new trainees include Graded stakes winner Fantastic Style, American Gal and winners Iliad and Americanize.
American Gal showed her class when she was third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and was a wide second in the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes. She has a shot to have a stellar career as her winning dam is a sibling to multiple Grade 1 winner Seventh Street, an over $700,000 earner.
Bob Baffert is probably not all that unhappy to see Fantastic Style move on. She is a nice mare, but far from a superstar. Baffert did coax a Grade 2 win from her but her 2016 finale leaves much to be desired.
If Doug O’Neill is smart, and he is, he will ask Bob Baffert about the idiosyncrasies of Iliad. The youngster was caught wide in his debut and faded after pressing the pace. Sent over to Los Alamitos, Iliad relaxed right off the early fractions and came away with gusto earning a clever 92 Beyer Speed Figure graduating. The pedigree is there for Iliad to star as his dam also dropped Melmich, who has won multiple Grade 3 races and has banked nearly $600,000 already.
For bettors, this is a good chance to evaluate training methods. As most seasoned players know, Bob Baffert trains his runners hard and asks for speed early and often. O’Neill is quite different but the success has been there. O’Neill, of course, has won four Breeders’ Cup races and the Kentucky Derby twice. His star I’ll Have Another won the 2012 Run for the Roses and he saddled the 2016 Derby winner Nyquist.
Bob Baffert Barn Still Evolving
