While the Triple Crown helped cement Bob Baffert‘s legacy in the world of horse racing, the legendary trainer holds a special place in his heart for the Breeders’ Cup. “It’s like an All-Star game,” he calls it. With the trainer suffering a series of heartbreaks in 2025, it’s only natural that he’s looking at the upcoming late November race to make amends. And he’s ready to shake things up a little to make sure he’s at the top of his game for the Breeders’ Cup.

When Baffert announced his decision to skip the Travers Stakes, the community was taken aback. While the trainer claimed it was his displeasure with Goal Oriented’s form that prompted him to make the call, fans were nonetheless caught off guard by the change of plans for the “Midsummer Derby”. And now, with the Breeders’ Cup road getting more intense by the day, Baffert is once again looking to deviate from the original roadmap.

In a recent article by DRF, Baffert’s new plan for the upcoming Hopeful Stakes (Grade 1) was revealed. Despite a massive win with the filly at Saturday’s G1 Ballerina Stakes, Hope Road won’t be Bob’s flagbearer for the upcoming Saratoga race, as per the August 24 report. Instead, it will be Buetane who represents the Hall of Fame trainer on September 1.

Coming back into action after a 90-day gap, Hope Road looked at the top of her game on Saturday, and that’s exactly why Bob Baffert feels like he needs to cut her some slack, especially with the Breeders’ Cup coming up. “I probably won’t run before the Breeders’ Cup, these fillies, they like to freshen up,” said the trainer on his aim to run the 4-year-old at the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. On the other hand, though, Baffert feels like this is an excellent chance for Beutane to showcase his skills.

“He’s always shown a lot of promise since the day we bought him. He’s still immature, learning, we’ll give him a trip there and see how he handles it,” said the trainer about giving the horse, who was bought at the OBS April 2-year-old-in-training sale for $1.15 million, the opportunity to run at the upcoming Hopeful Stakes.

Hope Road won the Ballerina Stakes on the same day when the Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty brought trainer Bill Mott his maiden Travers Stakes victory. Baffert, understandably, couldn’t be happier to bag his own Grade 1 race win on such a historic day. “There’s nothing better to me in racing than to win a Grade 1 at Saratoga – that is huge, especially on Travers Day,” he said about the filly’s feat.

At last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Baffert bagged a spectacular one-two finish with Citizen Bull and Gaming. This year, he’d like nothing more than to extend his resume at Del Mar. However, while the trainer feels like he has a good chance of winning the BC Filly and Mare Sprint, the Classic will be a whole different ballgame altogether.

A tough challenge ahead, but Bob Baffert isn’t without hope

The 72-year-old Baffert skipped the Travers with eyes on making an impact on the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial. However, that decision didn’t work out to his liking, as he only managed a third-place finish with Barnes in the $500k race. Naturally, going into the Breeders’ Cup Classic, fans might be feeling that the trainer’s chances don’t look all that great with his recent track record. The talented field at the upcoming November race will also not help to ease the concerns.

At the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the rivalry between Journalism and Sovereignty will resume once again. The Kentucky Derby winner and the Preakness Stakes winner will collide after their last face-off at the Belmont Stakes, and are likely to be the center of attention at Saratoga as well. With Sovereignty making history by winning the Travers Stakes this Saturday, trainer Bill Mott and jockey Junior Alvarado will be feeling quite confident in another big victory coming their way.

Moreover, Baeza, the third-place finisher of the Derby and the Belmont Stakes, will also enter the Breeders’ Cup Classic, along with Fierceness, the 4-year-old colt who was the runner-up at the 2024 race in Del Mar. Thorpedo Anna, last year’s winner of the prestigious Grade 1 event, will also make a comeback, coming off a victory at the Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) on Saturday.

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Then again, Baffert’s entrant for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Nysos, also picked up a major win at the San Diego Handicap (Grade 2) last month, and the trainer shouldn’t be feeling too shabby despite the tough competition lined up against him. How do you think he will fare when the horses cross paths in Del Mar in late November? Tell us below!