This racing season in 2025 has turned out to be one of the most frustrating and challenging times in Bob Baffert’s impressive career. The Hall of Fame trainer, famous for his Triple Crown wins and Breeders’ Cup victories, faced a tough stretch of challenges that kicked off with the Kentucky Derby. His colt, Citizen Bull, just couldn’t come through on racing’s biggest stage, and it was even more disappointing with another top contender, Rodriguez, getting scratched at the last minute because of a foot bruise.

Things took a turn for the worse during the Triple Crown series: Goal Oriented had a tough time in the Preakness Stakes, and even though Rodriguez was back in shape for the Belmont Stakes, he ended up finishing in fourth place. These performances stood out compared to the dominance Baffert showed in past years, highlighting a notable decline for the trainer who used to be known for his classic wins. It seems like this streak of bad luck went beyond just the Triple Crown races, leading to a season filled with near-misses and a lot of “what ifs.”

Baffert’s horses, while usually in the mix, just didn’t quite have that extra kick to clinch those big victories. It was tough for a trainer known for consistently bringing out top-notch three-year-olds to face the reality of not having a real classic contender in 2025. You can see how this downturn is hitting home in the latest TRC Global Trainers Rankings shared on their official X post.

Bob Baffert has slipped to fourth place, missing out on the podium this time around. The rankings give us a clear picture of the top trainers in the world, based solely on how well their runners have performed. Right now, Baffert is sitting at 2,411 points. He’s trailing behind some of the top names in the game. Ireland’s Aidan O’Brien is in the lead with an impressive 3,574 points, followed by America’s Chad Brown with 2,707 points in second place, and Britain’s Charlie Appleby sitting in third with 2,663 points.

Baffert’s fourth-place standing shows how tough this season has been for him, especially when you look at how he’s fared in the top races against his competitors.

As we move closer to the Breeders’ Cup, Baffert is hoping to turn things around. Right now, though, the rankings paint a pretty clear picture of a tough year. But he has been picking up little victories here and there on a track where he usually excels.

Bob Baffert’s Del Mar dominance

Bob Baffert has been making waves at Del Mar lately, especially with his impressive two-year-old program that everyone in the racing world seems to admire. He snagged his 12th win in the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes, setting a new record! The impressive colt Desert Gate sparkled, cruising to an 8 3/4-length victory with jockey Juan Hernandez on board. The trainer’s reaction? “It’s fun to win down here at Del Mar. This is our Saratoga,” said a confident Baffert.

Just a day later, the same trainer-jockey duo took home the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes with the filly Himika, who bounced back from an early stumble to win by 4 1/4 lengths. It wasn’t just about the stakes races; Baffert showed off his skills with first-time starters too, adding even more potential contenders to his lineup. He won maiden races with the highly-touted, $3 million purchase Brant, who powered to a 5 1/4-length debut victory, living up to his massive price tag and generating immediate excitement.

With new talent popping up all the time, Baffert keeps a strong presence at every level of competition during the meet, whether it’s the beginner maiden races or the big graded stakes.