Quote:
Originally Posted by Dahoss
Come on Steve. He’s the poster child for the rich get richer in this sport. I don’t fault owners for sending horses to him. The results speak for themselves. But there are a lot of really good trainers that don’t get the stock he gets EVERY single year and has gotten EVERY single year for decades.
|
As Baffert said to me in an interview recently when asked about the flow of premium talent, "I worked my whole career to get to this spot".
It is not true that Baffert received elite stock 'for decades'. He never had the volume that Pletcher or even Mott was receiving and the horses he was getting were relatively modest priced ($100,000-$250,000) and quality homebreds. It's only in the last 7-10 years that he started to receive high ticket sales prospects.
Here are the Top 20 horses of Baffert's career based on earnings:
Arrogate (2014 KEE YRLG) $560,000 (Juddmonte)
American Pharoah (2014 2YO) Homebred (Zayat)
Captain Steve (1998 FT JUL YRLG) $150,000 (Pegram)
Game On Dude (KEE 2008 YRLG) $210,000-RNA (Diamond Pride/Lanni+)
West Coast (2015 SEP YRLG) $425,000 (West)
Hoppertunity (2012 SEP YRLG) $300,000 (Pegram+)
Bayern (2013 TIM 2YO) $300,000 (Shah)
Silver Charm (OBS SPR 2YO) $100,000 (Lewis)
Point Given (2000 2YO) Homebred (Thoroughbred Corp.)
Justify (2016 KEE YRLG) $500,000 (China Horse Club+)
Secret Circle (2011 OBS MAR) $165,000 (Pegram+)
McKinzie (2016 KEE SEP YRLG) $170,000 (Pegram+)
Lookin At Lucky (2009 KEE APR 2YO) $475,000 (Pegram+)
Real Quiet (1996 KEE YRLG) $17,000 (Pegram)
Congaree (2000 YRLG) Homebred (Stonerside)
War Emblem (2000 KEE YRLG) Private Purchase (Thoroughbred Corp.)
Silverbulletday (1997 FT JUL YRLG) $155,000 (Pegram)
Indian Blessing (2007 2YO) Homebred (Earnhardt)
Collected (2015 OBS MAR 2YO) $170,000 (Speedway)
General Challenge (1998 2YO) Homebred (Mabee)