During his remarkable six-win on August 9, Hernandez delivered an impressive performance by giving Baffert a fourth straight victory in the prestigious Grade III Best Pal Stakes for 2-year-old males. He dominated the race with an 8 3⁄4-length triumph aboard Desert Gate, and extended Baffert’s legendary record to an astounding 12 Best Pal wins.

Since his return to the Kentucky Derby, on May 3rd, he crossed the finish line in 15th place at the Kentucky Derby. In the following Triple Crown race, he showed notable improvement by closing the gap considerably, yet still fell short of the podium, finishing fourth. The trend continued at Belmont, where Bob Baffert’s trainee again settled for fourth place. 

However, despite multiple shortcomings, the veteran trainer didn’t give up and took Del Mar by storm. On Sunday, Hernandez rode another Baffert trainee in Himika to win the Grade III Sorrento Stakes by 4 1⁄4 lengths over Mo’ Em Down (Umberto Rispoli). It was the fifth time in three days that Hernandez rode a 2-year-old Baffert trainee to victory at Del Mar. So, it’s hardly surprising that the 72-year-old is now topping the charts.

And as a result of that performance, Bob Baffert, on August 11, topped the trainers’ leaderboard at Del Mar. Del Mar Racing officially reported the news, showcasing a graphic prominently featuring Baffert’s name at the very top of the list. Following him on the leaderboard were notable trainers Peter Miller, Mark Glatt, John Sadler, Phil D’Amato, and Journalism’s trainer Michael McCarthy. 

Surprisingly, Bob Baffert is also on the list with an impressive double-digit score, further cementing his dominant presence on the table. Bob topped with 14 wins on the list while Journalism’s trainer came last with only 7. To talk about the winning percentage, with 37 starts and 14 wins, Baffert secured rank-1 with 38%. Those wins have helped him earn $1,421,940 so far. 

The special fact about his winning percentage is, he has made less number of starts than the top five trainers. As you see in the list, Peter Miller has started for a staggering 60 races, but with only 9 wins, his percentage dropped to 15%. This is what makes Bob exceptional. Even with fewer opportunities, Seismic Beauty, Nysos, and other colts didn’t let him lose important races. This can be an excellent push for Bob as the trainer is eyeing the most prestigious Breeders’ Cup.

Bob Baffert eyeing Breeders’ Cup 2025

While competing at Del Mar in multiple races, there is no doubt Bob is preparing for the Breeders’ Cup. Notably, he has not yet revealed which horse is going to be his pick for the race on October 31 and November 1. Seismic Beauty could probably be his pick, as he recently showcased great strength at $400,000 Clement L. Hirsch S. by winning the race and automatically securing a spot in the Breeders’ Cup race. But there is one more strong contender for the Breeders’ Cup from Baffert’s stable. 

Looking ahead to the 2025 Breeders’ Cup, all eyes are on Bob Baffert’s promising 4-year-old colt, Nysos. This young horse boasts an impressive lineage as the son of Nyquist, the celebrated champion who won both the 2016 Kentucky Derby and the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Nysos’s strong bloodline is matched by his growing reputation on the track. With each race, he’s proving himself more and more as a top-tier competitor. 

And while Baffert is known for keeping his expectations grounded, there’s no one who could be denying his increasing faith in what Nysos can achieve as he continues to rise through the ranks. But will there be any other colt for the most prestigious race in the end? Well, let’s find out as the time comes.