Bob Baffert’s 2025 season has really shown his ability to bounce back, especially with all the ups and downs he’s faced while getting back into top-level racing. After a long three-year suspension due to Medina Spirit’s disqualification from the 2021 Kentucky Derby, Baffert made his way back to Churchill Downs in April, hoping for a fresh start. Unfortunately, he faced a series of challenges instead. Citizen Bull, his top contender for the Derby, stumbled right out of the gate in the 151st Kentucky Derby and ended up finishing far behind, leaving fans who were rooting for a big comeback feeling let down.

Things didn’t go as planned at Pimlico, where Goal Oriented, another promising horse from the Baffert stable, ended up in fourth place in the Preakness Stakes, falling short against Journalism and a few others. Rodriguez faced a similar outcome at the Belmont Stakes, as he wasn’t anywhere close to the top runners in the race and finished fourth.

At one point, Baffert, eager to get back to the winner’s circle, found himself facing more frustration than glory in this campaign. Still, he’s excited about what’s coming next, even though things aren’t going his way right now. So, here comes Brant—a $3 million Gun Runner colt who made his Del Mar debut and really brought some hope back to Baffert’s stable. In a maiden special weight race, Brant really made a splash with his first performance, cruising to a 5 1/4-length win as the favorite and quickly becoming someone to keep an eye on.

In a report from DRF, Bob Baffert, looking quite happy, talked about his colt, saying, “We took our time with him. When you buy them at the 2-year-old in-training sales, sometimes you can’t get the speed out of their mind. He’s really good.”

Right now, Brant is a key moment for Baffert’s campaign this season. Brant is only a 2-year-old colt right now, but it’s exciting to think about what the future holds for him when he turns 3 and gets the chance to race against other colts his age. Even though the year has had its letdowns, Brant’s breakthrough gives us something to feel hopeful about again.

Bob Baffert has had his share of highs and controversies, and this colt might just be the boost he needs to regain momentum and solidify his status among the top trainers. Nonetheless, there’s another horse trained by Baffert that’s really standing out right now.

Another hope for Bob Baffert

After facing a series of letdowns in major races, including losses to horses like Sovereignty and Journalism, Bob Baffert finally got his moment at Del Mar when Nysos cruised to a strong win in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap, finishing 2 3/4 lengths ahead with jockey Flavien Prat in the saddle.

Baffert is back in the game, and Nysos has quickly become a shining highlight in what’s been a tough season. Nysos’ win was especially impressive since it was his first try at the two-turn distance in 17 months.

The colt had already scored some graded stakes wins at shorter distances, like the Grade 3 Triple Bend Stakes and the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes, but this performance really showed he can handle route races with confidence and skill. Baffert always believed that Nysos could become a top-tier classic horse, and this win really helps to support that idea.