Bob Baffert is a guy who was really geared up for a fantastic horse racing season this year. He was back at Churchill Downs after serving a three-year suspension. So, the fairy tale return that a lot of individuals were hoping for at the Kentucky Derby just didn’t pan out. His horse, Citizen Bull, couldn’t keep the lead as they approached the final stretch, and to make matters worse, Rodriguez got scratched at the last minute because of a foot injury.
Also, Baffert’s horses usually ended up with not-so-great post positions, which made race strategies and results a bit trickier. He had the same luck at the Preakness Stakes. At first, he was really excited to run Rodriguez, but then he ended up being moved to Belmont Skates. “He’ll be perfect for the Belmont. I couldn’t prep him like I wanted to (for the Preakness). Once he had the foot issue, you got to let those things simmer down. I didn’t have enough time,” Bob mentioned regarding Rodriguez. So, that just left him with being Goal Oriented.
It was pretty clear that the odds were leaning towards Baffert, especially since Goal Oriented had a perfect track record with two wins back-to-back. So, that record got broken at Pimlico when the horse came in fourth at the Preakness Stakes. And the winner of the G1 event? So, it was Journalism.
However, Bob Baffert really praised Journalism’s performance, saying, “Unbelievable. That horse, I’ve seen him do it all winter long and, you know, he’s a remarkable horse. I mean, we’ve seen him do that at Santa Anita, get in trouble, come running, and he’s just, he knows where the wire is. I’m a, you know, that’s a really good horse.”
Baffert’s praise for Journalism really highlights how much he appreciates the colt’s toughness and racing skills. Journalism really shows its knack for tackling challenges and coming out on top, just like we’ve seen in the Santa Anita Derby and the Preakness Stakes. It’s a perfect reflection of the qualities that Baffert appreciates in a racehorse.
“He’s a remarkable horse.”@BobBaffert speaks to @JoaquinJaime_ after GOAL ORIENTED finishes 4th in the Preakness Stakes. pic.twitter.com/BGAwNpRXaj
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) May 17, 2025
Even with all those challenges, Baffert’s take on the Preakness result shows just how much he respects the sport and everyone involved in it. So, what happened with his own horse that raced in the event?
Bob Baffert doesn’t mind the results
Bob Baffert, the Hall of Fame trainer, shared his honest thoughts on how his colt Goal Oriented did in the 2025 Preakness Stakes, where the horse came in fourth. Baffert thought a front-running strategy would work well, as he believed Goal Oriented would shine when out in front of the pack. But the race took a different turn, and the colt ended up trailing behind the other horses.
“I was wanting to be on the lead and when he’s behind horses, I knew he was intimidated and he was trying to, he’s never run, you know, that way, but I mean, he ran well, but he’s still too green for that,” said the 72-year-old trainer. This comment points out that Goal Oriented is a bit inexperienced, considering he had only two previous races before the Preakness, and he won both of them. In those races, he either took the lead or was right up there, showing he really likes being at the front.
The Preakness brought a fresh challenge, as Goal Oriented had to find a way through the traffic and handle the pressure of trailing behind other horses. Baffert’s take on the colt feeling intimidated shows that Goal Oriented is still working on building the mental endurance needed for those big races. Baffert noted that the horse did a great job, showing some real potential for future races as he gets more experience under his belt.
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