Horse racing is an exhilarating sport. Even for an individual of Bob Baffert’s stature, keeping pace with the competition can prove to be a challenge at times. What brings the American trainer into the limelight, you wonder? In case you haven’t heard, he has been cleared of his ban and is qualified to participate in this year’s Kentucky Derby.
Baffert currently has a significant number of horses competing in the events leading up to the initial leg of the American Triple Crown, with Citizen Bull standing out as his leading contender. Nevertheless, the horse is already facing strong rivalry from two particular contenders. And who might they be? A closer look at the official Kentucky Derby page reveals that Coal Battle and Owen Almighty are currently positioned ahead of Citizen Bull on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Who exactly are these two horses?
First, let’s look at Coal Battle. A horse with a career earnings total of $1,053,875 is under the training of Lonnie Briley. How did he achieve 70 points on this list? In the previous edition of the Springboard Mile Stakes, Coal Battle secured the top position and earned 10 points. In the inaugural race of 2025, the Smarty Jones Stakes, he clinched victory, earning an additional 10 points.
Coal Battle secured a significant 50 points in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes, finishing strong at the front of the pack. His trainer’s comments? “Yeah, I mean, what else? He’s a good little dude. Proud of himself right now,” Briley remarked with a touch of humor. So, which horse comes next on this list? Presenting Owen Almighty.
The horse trained by Brian Lynch has recently made a notable leap to secure second place. He currently holds 65 points, but what accounts for his position at the top? On September 14, 2024, the colt secured a second-place finish in the Iroquois Stakes, earning a total of five points. During his participation in the Sam F. Davis Stakes, he achieved a second-place finish, earning 10 points in the process.
What about the remaining 50 points? The Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, a Grade 3 event, witnessed Owen Almighty’s impressive surge to victory, earning crucial points for his tally. However, tomorrow, Saturday, Baffert has assembled his own contender for high-profile Virginia Derby.
Bob Baffert’s star equine in the Virginia Derby
The Colonial Downs race is set to make its debut as a qualifying event on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. A significant number of horse racing enthusiasts are set to watch the Virginia Derby, and it promises to be a worthwhile experience, given the presence of numerous competitive horses vying for those coveted Kentucky Derby points. Bob Baffert originally intended to enter Gaming, but he has now redirected his focus to Getaway Car.
Recall the moment when the trainer remarked, “It’s a mile and an eighth, one turn, we’ll give him one more crack at it. The Oaklawn race was horrendous. He didn’t get anything out of that. He’s come back and worked well. He was stuck in the one-hole in each of his last two starts and had disastrous trips. I just want to get him back on track. We know he’s a good horse.”
Unhappy with Gaming’s earlier performance, he sought to provide the colt an opportunity at the Virginia Derby. It appears that his perspective has shifted. What are the statistics for Getaway Car? The three-year-old colt currently holds 36 points, with his standout performance occurring at the Sunland Park Derby. He indeed secured 20 points from this race, and with promising form in the 2025 season, Baffert is eager to see more from this horse.
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