“Old BB would’ve won that race,” a fan said on X after the 2025 Haskell Stakes. “He should retire now,” was the verdict from another fan about Bob Baffert, the record-time Kentucky Derby winner, the trainer who has claimed most of the major records for himself. He also happens to be the winningest trainer at Haskell. But such has been his year.

He finished 15th in the Kentucky Derby on May 3rd. In the next Triple Crown race, he closed the gap, but still finished fourth. At Belmont, too Baffert finished fourth with Rodriguez. The man known for the big occasions has failed to mount a challenge, especially considering the fact that fans were expecting a characteristic Bob Baffert response to his return from suspension. In short, it was not the homecoming Bob Baffert imagined.

Yet, you know the saying – class is permanent. And if you ask Bob Baffert, he will tell you he is far from done. Well, we just got to see that at the Del Mar racecourse on August 9. The veteran trainer has gone and extended his record at the G3 Best Pal Stakes, proving some things are still the same.

Paulick Report shared the result of the race from their X account on August 10. “Desert Gate, the 1-5 favorite, dominated the $150K G3 Best Pal at Del Mar, cruising 6f in 1:10.37 to win by 8¾ lengths under Juan Hernandez for Bob Baffert’s record 12th victory in the race.” There’s a lot to unpack, and we will take you through it. But what will surprise you more is that 11 of the 12 wins at the graded race have come since the turn of the century.

In fact, he is on a four-win streak now, after Desert Gate won the race exclusively for two-year-old colts. Since the Del Mar season has started, Baffert’s luck seems to have changed. He has scored some wins under his belt. Just before the Best Pal victory, his three-year-old colt, Privman, won a thrilling allowance optional claiming race.

As for his sporting legacy, the 72-year-old has numerous accolades that make him a living legend. He holds the record of most wins in the following G1 races – Del Mar Futurity (17), American Pharoah Stakes (12), Santa Anita Derby (9), Preakness Stakes (8), Breeders’ Cup Classic (4), Travers Stakes (3). And the list is not even close to being exhaustive.

In addition to these, Bob Baffert is also the trainer with the most wins at the Del Mar Racing Club. He can always count on the Southern California racetrack to boost him. And he has also found success with his new colt, Desert Gate.

Bob Baffert’s record-making colt is off to a great start

The Omaha Beach colt had a clean race from start to finish on August 9 at the Del Mar dirt track. Talking about the prized colt, jockey Juan Hernandez said, “This horse is usually pretty quiet. But today he was on it. He was feeling good in the paddock.” It was his run down the stretch that took the field out of contention. “At the three-eighths (pole) he wanted to go, but I got him to wait. Then we took off in the stretch and he was the best.”

Securing 1st place came with a 90k cash prize. And in total, Desert Gate’s earnings stand at $126,000. Bought in 2025 at the OBS March Two-Olds In Training Sale for $260,000, the Bob Baffert trainee has proved to be an intelligent investment for his owners, Three Amigos, partnered by Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman. Desert Gate made his racing debut on June 13 in a Maiden Special Weight race at the Santa Anita racetrack. The 2 ¼ lengths victory was the perfect prelude.

Talking about the Kentucky-bred horse, Baffert had this to say as per Paulick Report: “He’s been kind of quiet down here but he broke well and that’s the most important part of these 2-year-old races is that they come out clean.” And he added, “This horse is very professional since day one. It’s nice to have these horses. That’s what we’re in the business for. We just got to keep him healthy and sound.”

It seems like Baffert has some very good prospects for next year’s Triple Crown races. With the likes of Desert Gate and Brant in the stables, Baffert is closer to rewriting the history books than he is to calling it a day. We are keeping our keen attention on the upcoming Travers Stakes and the season-defining Breeders’ Cup Classic. We feel Bob Baffert will have a say.