‘Did you see that?’ might have been the first thought racing through fans’ minds as Nevada Beach crossed the finish line at the Sept. 27 Goodwood Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park. Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, the 3-year-old colt was making only his fourth career start and wasn’t expected to steal the spotlight from seasoned runners like Full Serrano, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile champion. But that is precisely what happened: Nevada Beach overtook the race, getting into this year in the Breeders Classic at Del Mar, and declaring himself as an emerging star.

Baffert, who is adept at calculated risk-taking with his horses, justified why he believed that Nevada Beach was prepared to host such a mega.“We’ve only been really high on this horse. We’ve always thought he had this in him,” Baffert told Fanduel on X. “He was training well. I was gonna go to Parks, but I just…I didn’t like the way he worked. Came back, worked well, and Mike Smith’s beautiful ride. And love going to the bench. Mike Smith always comes through. Mike Pegram, I told him his horse is a good horse.”

He also praised his team and owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman: “I told him his horse is a good horse. We finally got it, so that’s good for the crew, you know, watching and white men, and that’s why they were in the game.”His words preconditioned the race, but it was the race itself that proved him to be as right as he was.

Even the race was a demonstration of tactics. Full Serrano paced himself well early, with a first quarter time of 23.58 and a half of 47.86, and Nevada Beach, Mike Smith driving it, was in second, right behind the lead. Approaching the last turn, Smith drove forward Nevada Beach, and the colt, in his turn, acted as a determined creature, drawing away in the stretch and winning by 1  1 /2 lengths in 1:48.43. Privman also came in third place after First Mission, Ultimate Gamble, and Express Train.

For the owners, this victory was the payoff for years of trust. However, while Nevada Beach won the race, other horses in Bob Baffert’s stable, like Gaming or Privman, still need to qualify in other races. Their participation in the Breeders’ Cup isn’t guaranteed yet. However, Nevada Beach was purchased for $260,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale in the name of The Three Amigos.

Nevada Beach did not run as a 2-year-old but had continued to improve, winning a maiden race, running second in the Affirmed Stakes, and winning the Los Alamitos Derby. And it happened that the build-up was not so much about the horse itself but also about the choices made by Baffert, on the run-up to the Goodwood, which made him widely popular in the horse racing fraternity.

Fans buzz about Bob Baffert’s Breeders’ Cup hopes

One fan said, “Im so excited to see him run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic!” while another added, “This horse just keeps surprising us.” Just days before the Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita Park, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert was already making headlines with his decisions. He confirmed that Gaming, who had drawn the rail and was listed at 6-1 on the morning line, would be scratched. “Not a good spot for him. We’ll look for something else,” Baffert explained, showing his willingness to play the long game rather than force a young horse into the wrong race.

Privman, a son of Justify who was making his stakes debut, and Nevada Beach, an Omaha Beach colt resuming his winning streak in the Los Alamitos Derby, remained behind the scenes to carry the banner of the man who missed out on the qualifier in the Win and You’re In Breeders’ Cup Classic.

There was another fan who was buzzing about winning. “I have a feeling the Breeders’ Cup is his moment,” one wrote. Another chimed in, “Bob is the perfect trainer. I knew this would happen.” Yet another added, “I am sure he will win the Breeders’ Cup with Bob.” The 2025 statistics of Nevada Beach speak of a young talent: he won three out of four, got one second, and earned $296,500.

This record is reflected in his career, as every run only increases the image of him as a serious competitor. Bob Baffert has conditioned several Grade 1 winners, Eclipse champions, and Hall of Famers in a career of almost four decades, winning almost all of the major races in North America. This has made him an inductee to the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame in 2009, and he is still showing the way each year.