Getting back to the “winner’s circle” hasn’t been an easy ride for Bob Baffert lately. He’s definitely been racking up some wins with his horses here and there, but snagging a victory in the American Triple Crown series is still just a dream for the 72-year-old trainer this year. Baffert’s colt, Rodriguez, is gearing up for some tough competition in the 2025 Belmont Stakes. He’ll be going up against the Kentucky Derby winner, Sovereignty, and the Preakness Stakes winner, Journalism. It should be an exciting race! Sovereignty, trained by Bill Mott, pulled off a win in the 151st Kentucky Derby.

Despite a slow start and some tough muddy conditions, he managed to finish 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Journalism. Sovereignty has shown some solid performance with 3 wins and 2 second-place finishes in 6 starts. That’s pretty impressive at such a high level! Journalism, who was trained by Michael McCarthy, bounced back from finishing second in the Derby to take home the win at the 150th Preakness Stakes, crossing the finish line in 1:55.37. Journalism has really proven itself with 5 wins, 1 second, and 1 third in 7 starts, showing off some impressive resilience and adaptability on various tracks and in different conditions.

Rodriguez, with Baffert in his corner, is heading into the Belmont Stakes without having raced in the first two Triple Crown events. This might put him at a bit of a disadvantage compared to his rivals, who have already shown what they can do in these big races. So, the last time Rodriguez hit the track was during the G2 Wood Memorial Stakes. It’ll be interesting to see how he does this time around! But there are also other horses that Bob Baffert has invested in. So, recently, there was this 4-year-old colt named Nysos who really stole the show at the G3 Triple Bend Stakes over at Santa Anita Park on Saturday. It was quite the performance! He won by more than five lengths, finishing the seven-furlong race in 1:21.28.

This win gave him a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 108, highlighting just how fast and skilled he is on the track. On X, DRF reporter Brad Free shared this update, stating, “Nysos = career-high 108 Beyer Speed Figure winning G3 Triple Bend Stakes by more than five lengths Saturday at Santa Anita, seven furlongs in 1:21.28 for trainer Bob Baffert, jockey Juan Hernandez. Nysos, 4yo, now four-for-five, summer campaign wide open.”

Nysos is now four-for-five, and the summer campaign is looking wide open. The colt has really made a name for himself, winning four out of his five career starts. It’s impressive to see how consistent and dominant he is on the track! He faced one defeat earlier in his career, but since then, he’s bounced back really well, showing a bright future in the racing scene.

Although details about his upcoming summer campaign have remained under wraps, his present performance indicates that he will make a strong impression in the sprinting category. However, have you heard about the additional information that Baffert shared about his horse that will be competing in the Belmont Stakes?

Bob Baffert unveiled more details on Rodriguez’s condition

Rodriguez, the 3-year-old son of Authentic, had a nice workout, breezing five furlongs in 1:00.40 at Santa Anita earlier Friday morning. This comes just a week after he made a strong seven-furlong move in 1:24.80.

“He worked great going into the [Kentucky] Derby until he popped that quarter, and I knew I was in trouble. I didn’t have enough time to give it a chance. Quarter cracks in a hind are different than in the front. Now, he’s got the time. He came back and worked. I’m happy he’s going up there. He looks good,” Bob Baffert told DRF. Hind cracks are serious when it comes to a horse’s health.

So, skipping those high-stakes races was a smart move by Baffert, and it might have actually given the colt an advantage over the competition. By skipping both the Derby and the Preakness, Rodriguez had plenty of time to recover from his setback and is now looking to finish the Triple Crown season on a strong note. For sure, anything can happen! It’s hard to say how Rodriguez will really do in a Triple Crown race.