Bob Baffert isn’t just known for training champions—he’s got a flair for luck, too. So, one of his signature habits? Sporting his lucky neckties on big race days. Then, every morning, like clockwork, he makes the trek from his home in Huntington Beach to the Santa Anita racetrack, sticking to a routine that’s as much about mindset as mileage. But perhaps Bob’s greatest stroke of luck isn’t a necktie at all—it’s his wife, Jill Baffert, the steady presence who’s become as much a part of his winning formula as the horses he trains.

On any major race day, while cameras chase the white-haired figure of Bob Baffert, Jill can often be found one step behind, observing quietly, balancing superstition with support, and choosing not to wear a hat, because in their world, even headwear can tip fate. But her place in the story of American horse racing isn’t just beside the trainer. It’s stamped into the rail tracks of Churchill Downs and into the colt named Du Jour.

This is the woman who once rushed Bob to a hospital in Dubai, saving him from a fatal heart attack. The same woman who returned home to Tennessee, not for a media appearance, but to serve fried chicken at her childhood diner. A Southern girl with a newsroom dream, Jill Baffert’s path to the paddock was never part of the plan. But now, she walks it like she was born for it.

Meet Jill Baffert: Bob Baffert’s Wife

Before she was standing trackside cheering for American Pharoah, Jill Baffert was Jill Moss, a small-town girl from Centerville, Tennessee. A former waitress at Breece’s Cafe and Miss Hickman County beauty queen. She proudly recalls her upbringing and continues to revisit Centerville, where her mother still lives. Jill built her early career the hard way; by waiting tables and reporting the news. And her dream? To become a network TV anchor. Her path? A whirlwind through horse racing’s most elite circles.

Despite the glamour of Belmont and Churchill Downs, Jill has never shed her small-town values or Southern charm. She jokes about never wearing hats (Bob believes placing a hat on a bed brings bad luck) and delaying race-day outfit choices to avoid jinxing a win. And amidst the celebrations of American Pharoah’s win, Jill quietly faced her own challenge; undergoing hip replacement surgery due to Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, a condition she battled since childhood. Today, she’s recovered and continues to remain active in the horse racing community.

What is Jill Baffert’s Profession?

Though Jill began her career anchoring, reporting, and producing in Kentucky, her marriage to Bob brought an unexpected transition. As she embraced this new world, Jill found herself deeply involved in the sport. Her name is now linked to horses like Du Jour, co-owned with Debbie Lanni, who claimed victory in the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes and later competed at the Belmont Derby amid Bob’s suspension.

Jill has been through it all. The near wins, the dry spells, the accusations, and the legal battles that rocked Bob Baffert’s career. From Real Quiet in 1998 to American Pharoah’s historic Triple Crown in 2015, and then to the Medina Spirit controversy in 2021, Jill has remained a steady pillar. When Bob suffered a heart attack in Dubai in 2012, it was Jill who recognized the signs and got him to a hospital in time to save his life.

How did Bob Baffert and Jill Baffert meet?

It was the Kentucky Derby that changed her life. In 1998, while working for WLKY-TV in Louisville, Jill was covering pre-race content at Churchill Downs when she met Bob Baffert. He was then a two-time Derby-winning trainer. Charismatic, confident, and unmistakable in his looks Bob made an impression. Their romance began not long after, eventually leading to marriage in 2002. Their son Bode was born in 2004.

Looking back, Jill admits she never imagined this life. But in her own words, she wouldn’t trade it for anything. And in every barn aisle, beneath every Derby hat, and behind every winner’s circle celebration, Jill Baffert is a reminder that sometimes, life’s best races are the ones we never saw coming. From broadcast studios to barn aisles, Jill Baffert’s journey has never followed a traditional track. But every step in her journey has brought her closer to the life she never knew she wanted. 

Her story is not just about being Bob Baffert’s wife; it’s about the grit, grace, and grounded charm she brings to every phase of their shared legacy. Whether she’s nursing a champion horse to the winner’s circle, managing family traditions steeped in superstition, or simply enjoying a quiet moment in Centerville, Jill remains the steady hand on the reins. And in a sport defined by unpredictability, that kind of presence is rarer than a Triple Crown.