During his remarkable six-win on August 9, Hernandez delivered an impressive performance by giving Baffert a fourth straight victory in the prestigious Grade III Best Pal Stakes for 2-year-old males. He dominated the race with an 8¾-length triumph aboard Desert Gate, and extended Baffert’s legendary record to an astounding 12 Best Pal wins.
Since his return to the Kentucky Derby, on May 3rd, he crossed the finish line in 15th place at the Kentucky Derby. In the following Triple Crown race, he showed notable improvement by closing the gap considerably, yet still fell short of the podium, finishing fourth. The trend continued at Belmont, where Bob Baffert’s trainee again settled for fourth place. However, despite multiple shortcomings, the veteran trainer didn’t give up and took Del Mar by storm. On Sunday, Hernandez rode another Baffert trainee in Himika to win the Grade III Sorrento Stakes by 4¼ lengths over Mo’ Em Down (Umberto Rispoli). It was the fifth time in three days that Hernandez rode a 2-year-old Baffert trainee to victory at Del Mar. So, it’s hardly surprising that the 72-year-old is now topping the charts.
And as a result of that performance, Bob Baffert, on August 11, topped the trainers’ leaderboard at Del Mar. Del Mar Racing officially reported the news, showcasing a graphic prominently featuring Baffert’s name at the very top of the list. Following him on the leaderboard were notable trainers Peter Miller, Mark Glatt, John Sadler, Phil D’Amato, and Journalism’s trainer Michael McCarthy. Surprisingly, Bob Baffert is also on the list with an impressive double-digit score, further cementing his dominant presence on the table.
Baffert’s trainees dominated the Seaside Oval with six eye-catching victories, vaulting the conditioner to the top of the leaderboard.
Halfway home in the @SeatGeek Standings https://t.co/7kLGI5hoOX pic.twitter.com/J7zovXWRdk
— Del Mar Racetrack (@DelMarRacing) August 11, 2025
This can be an excellent push for Bob as the trainer is eyeing the most prestigious Breeders’ Cup. Notably, he has not yet revealed which horse is going to be his pick for the race on October 31 and November 1. But Nysos and Seismic Beauty could probably be his picks as the latter one recently showcased great strength at $400,000 Clement L. Hirsch S. by winning the race and automatically securing a spot in the Breeders’ Cup race.
Stay tuned, this is a developing story!
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