Bob Baffert’s much-anticipated return to the 2025 American Triple Crown didn’t quite go as planned, as he finished each of the three classic races without a win. The 72-year-old trainer was back after a three-year suspension and entered two horses. Rodriguez had to be scratched just days before the race because of a bruised foot. This left Citizen Bull in the spotlight, who started off strong but ended up finishing a distant 15th in the muddy conditions. It was quite a difference from Baffert’s six previous Derby wins.

Ahead of the Preakness Stakes, Rodriguez was not quite ready; Baffert had to count on his then-undefeated horse, Goal Oriented. But the horse just couldn’t keep up with someone like Journalism and ended up in fourth place.

Rodriguez came back just in time for the Belmont Stakes at the Saratoga Race Course, but after leading for a bit, he ended up fading and finished in fourth place. Sovereignty came in first, with Journalism right behind in second place and Baeza taking third—just like in the Derby results.

Now that the Triple Crown series has wrapped up for the season, the trainer is taking a moment to celebrate the smaller victories out there. Himika, a $900,000 filly by Curlin, trained by Bob Baffert for Baoma Corp., really wowed everyone with her impressive first outing at Santa Anita. Even with some early positioning issues—her jockey, Juan Hernandez, got stuck behind the leader—Himika broke free at the top of the stretch and zoomed ahead, winning by six lengths in a solid time of 57.86 seconds over five furlongs.

According to DRF, Baffert was really impressed with how Himika won the race, saying, “I think she is a very nice filly. I liked the way she sat behind horses. She’s professional.” When the room finally opened, the filly’s response really showed off her athleticism and calmness—both important qualities for a future stakes contender.

This wasn’t a shock, especially considering her morning workouts. She had earlier clocked a quick four-furlong breeze in 46.8 seconds at Santa Anita, hinting at some serious potential before she even stepped onto the track. So, there’s this other horse that jumped back onto the track right after Baffert’s Triple Crown setback.

Bob Baffert’s colt back is to his winning ways

After missing the Kentucky Derby and having a rough time at the Pat Day Mile, Gaming got back into the game at Santa Anita’s Affirmed Stakes in California and really took advantage of the opportunity. The colt trained by Bob Baffert jumped out to an early lead in the $100,000 Affirmed Stakes and maintained it all the way, crossing the finish line 1 3/4 lengths ahead of his stablemate, Nevada Beach.

Even Hector Berrios, who was riding Gaming for the first time, shared his thoughts on the colt’s relaxed confidence. He mentioned, “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.” This colt really has an amazing comeback story!

For sure, Gaming’s journey has been pretty questionable. He had an awesome win at the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity when he was only two, but then he sort of faded in the next stakes. He ended up finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but then he had a few missed opportunities in graded races. This race win means that Gaming has finally broken their losing streak. We’ll just have to wait and see if Baffert decides to enter his colt in more races down the line.