Unlucky Horse Brings Bob Baffert Much Needed Comeback Win at California

Bob Baffert had a tough spring season, facing some pretty unfortunate luck, and he didn’t manage to snag a win in any of the Triple Crown races. He hit a real low point when Gaming, a colt that had so much potential, didn’t make the cut for the Kentucky Derby. It was a tough blow that could really shape his entire three-year-old season. But this tough season had plenty going on for the 72-year-old trainer. At the Kentucky Derby, Citizen Bull didn’t quite make the mark, and it seems that bad luck followed through to Goal Oriented in the Preakness Stakes and Rodriguez in the Belmont Stakes.

All those horses were really top-notch, but for some reason, they just couldn’t find the right connection during the races. After missing out on the Kentucky Derby and a poor run at the Pat Day Mile, Gaming jumped back into the competition at Santa Anita’s Affirmed Stakes in California and really made the most of it, as shown in FanDuel Racing’s X post.

Gaming took the lead right from the start and never looked back in the $100,000 Affirmed Stakes, finishing ahead of stablemate Nevada Beach by 1 3/4 lengths. Jockey Hector Berrios, who was riding Gaming for the first time with Baffert, shared his thoughts on the colt’s relaxed confidence, saying, “I wanted to go to the lead. I got a good position, and he went very comfortably. Then I just waited and waited. When I moved on him, he responded.”

#3 GAMING ($5.00) goes gate to wire in the $100,000 Affirmed Stakes at @SantaAnitaPark. The three-year-old colt by @LanesEndFarms' Game Winner had @HIBerrios in the irons for trainer @BobBaffert. pic.twitter.com/FatVfZ3Gpx

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) June 8, 2025

Gaming’s journey so far has been a mix of hope and disappointment. After a great win at the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity when he was just two, he kind of faded in the following stakes. He did manage a runner-up finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but then had a couple of missed chances in graded races this spring.

With this win, Gaming has not just put an end to a losing streak but also brought Baffert’s season back to life. For sure, there are plenty more races ahead in the campaign, and it’ll be interesting to see how well Baffert gets ready for them. So, what really went down with Rodriguez at the Belmont Stakes?

Bob Baffert’s colt faded away in the final stretch

Rodriguez, one of Bob Baffert’s top three-year-olds in 2025, had to deal with a bunch of setbacks leading up to the Belmont Stakes. He was originally set to run in the Kentucky Derby, but unfortunately, he had to be scratched because of a quarter-crack hoof injury. That same foot problem kept him from running in the Preakness too. By the time Belmont Day rolled around at Saratoga, his hoof was all healed up.

Baffert and jockey Mike Smith figured it was best to let Rodriguez run free since he really likes to take the lead instead of hanging back with the pack. Just like always, Rodriguez got off to a fast start, leading the pack for the first three-quarters.

But as the competition heated up and horses like Sovereignty and Journalism started to make their moves, he couldn’t keep up and ended up finishing fourth behind Baeza. He really showed some grit and speed, but with that hoof injury and his front-running strategy, he ended up being a bit vulnerable as they came down the stretch.

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