When Bob Baffert stepped into the 2025 Kentucky Derby, he was filled with a lot of hopes. So, with Rodriguez getting scratched at the last minute, his chances took a hit since he only had Citizen Bull in the race. Martin Garcia did a great job guiding the colt, but Citizen Bull just couldn’t keep up as they hit the final stretch and fell back from the leaders. Baffert really had a rough time, but it seems like he’s gearing up to jump back into the game.
Now that the first leg of the American Triple Crown is in the books, the 72-year-old is setting sights on the next one. And guess what? He has a certain strategy for it. On X, sports journalist J.J. Hysell reported: “Bob Baffert plans to enter both Goal Oriented and Rodriguez in the Preakness Stakes.”
Pretty interesting, right? Bob Baffert is going with a tried-and-true approach as he aims for that $2 million prize at the Preakness Stakes. Baffert is looking to repeat his strategy from the Kentucky Derby by entering both Goal Oriented and Rodriguez in the upcoming G1 event, just like he did with Rodriguez and Citizen Bull. This is similar to his approach in the Derby, where he fields several contenders to boost his chances of winning. Each horse has its own unique style and strengths that contribute to the race.
So, since his plan didn’t really pan out at the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes could be a chance for him to bounce back. Rodriguez had to be pulled from the race, and Citizen Bull just couldn’t keep up in the final stretch, ending up in 15th place. With Goal Oriented now teaming up with Rodriguez for the Preakness, Baffert is once again making sure he has a flexible setup. So, how has this colt done in the past?
Bob Baffert plans to enter both Goal Oriented and Rodriguez in the #Preakness.
(via Pimlico notes)
— J.J. Hysell (@trifectabox) May 8, 2025
Goal Oriented is on a roll, staying unbeaten in his career with two wins out of two starts. His latest victory came in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race on the undercard of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. In that race, he showed off his tactical speed and resilience, managing to fend off a late challenge from Hypnus to clinch the win by three-quarters of a length on a sealed, sloppy track. So, is the Kentucky Derby winner going to take part in the Preakness Stakes?
Bob Baffert’s new rival is focusing on something else
Is there a new rival for Bob Baffert? Yep, I’m referring to the winner of this year’s Kentucky Derby. Sovereignty won’t be participating in the 2025 Preakness Stakes. Trainer Bill Mott shared that the Kentucky Derby winner will be sitting out the second leg of the Triple Crown to concentrate on the Belmont Stakes, which is set for June 7 at Saratoga Race Course.
The trainer was pretty straightforward and agreed, saying, “We want to do what’s best for the horse. Of course, you always think about a Triple Crown, and that’s not something we’re not going to think about.” With Sovereignty not participating in the Preakness, it looks like we won’t have a Triple Crown winner this year.
That’s now seven years in a row without a contender for the title. People are talking about the decision and how it relates to the tight scheduling of the Triple Crown races. Some folks in the racing community are suggesting that we should have longer breaks between the events to better support modern training methods and take care of the horses’ well-being. However, only time will tell what will happen in the rest of the Triple Crown races.
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