Believe it or not, the 2025 Travers Stakes unfolded almost as if it were scripted. The winner was Sovereignty, trained by Bill Mott, who lived up to every expectation. The 3-year-old colt dominated the field, finishing 10 lengths ahead of Bracket Buster in a time of 2:00.84. But one can’t help but wonder: would the outcome have been different if Bob Baffert had entered his colt, Goal Oriented? At first, Baffert hinted that he might send the horse, but ultimately, he decided against it.

“The Travers is a very tough race. A mile and a quarter can be tough…,” he said. So he skipped the exciting $1.25 million Grade 1 Travers Stakes, but instead made a calculated move that secured him a spot in the Breeders’ Cup.

Just before the Travers Stakes, another race was held on the same day, August 24, 2025, as part of the undercard – the Grade I Ballerina Stakes. It was revealed on X on 25th August, by a photographer, Sdeckerphoto, who recently shared images of a filly named Hope Road, noting in the caption: “From yesterday’s Travers undercard: Hope Road takes the Grade I Ballerina Stakes with @jose93_ortiz onboard for trainer Bob Baffert and owner Cicero Farms.” Along with the caption, they shared the pics which showed this 4-year-old filly foaled in 2021 also won this race. And here it gets interesting.

Hope Road is the same filly who is trained by Bob Baffert, owned and bred by Cicero Farms LLC, and ridden by Jose L. Ortiz, who took part in this race and won it. But Ballerina Stakes itself is one of Saratoga’s most prestigious races for fillies and mares aged three and older, run over seven furlongs with a $500,000 purse.

By choosing this race over the $1.25 million Travers, Baffert made a strategic, smarter play. And the results spoke for themselves: Hope Road’s victory in the Ballerina Stakes earned her and the Baffert team a guaranteed spot in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. But at the same time, this filly proved she is just like her mother.

Bob Baffert is overjoyed as Hope Road follows mother’s footsteps

Seven years after her mother, Marley’s Freedom, won the Ballerina Stakes, Hope Road did it again, this time for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. And yes, it happened on Travers Day. Ridden by Jose Ortiz, the 4-year-old daughter of Quality Road stalked early leader Scylla, then made her move on the outside. The two went stride for stride at the top of the stretch until Hope Road pulled ahead to win by two lengths in 1:21.93 over 7 furlongs.

It was her first Grade 1 win, and it came with a “Win and You’re In” ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Del Mar. As the 2-1 favorite, she paid $6.10 to win. Watching from California, Baffert couldn’t hide his pride: “There’s nothing better to me in racing than to win a Grade 1 at Saratoga that is huge, especially on Travers Day. I just wish I could have been there to enjoy it with them. I’m so proud of my crew there.” He added, “I’m so proud of that mare. She deserved a Grade 1. Jose rode her perfectly… but she ran her race.” But it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Hope Road.

Hope Road had some trouble getting into the gate. Still, the outcome spoke volumes. By the end of the day, her 2025 stats showed 4 starts, 1 win, 2 seconds, 1 third, and $530,600 in earnings. Her career record now stands at 12 starts, 5 wins, 4 seconds, 1 third, totaling $866,620. That’s a filly who clearly knows how to rise when it matters most. So yes, skipping the Travers Stakes certainly didn’t go in vain for Baffert.