Trainer Bob Baffert has 2 top horses in the 2015 Kentucky Derby. (YouTube)
Bob Baffert is a Hall of Famer with over 2,000 career wins as a trainer on his resume.
But on June 6 in the Belmont Stakes, the 62-year-old, who is the owner Bob Baffert Racing Stables, made history, becoming the first trainer win the Triple Crown since 1978.
American Pharoah was the horse to accomplish the feat, taking the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont in 2015.
Baffert now has 12 Triple Crown race wins.
Growing up on his family’s 240-acre cattle ranch near the Mexico border in Arizona as one of 7 children, horses were in Bob’s blood – his father Bill was a cattle rancher and Quarter Horse breeder.
He’s been training for all of his adult life and has led famous horses Point Given, Real Quiet, Silver Charm and War Emblem to major victories. It’s helped him amass a net worth of $5 million, though that hasn’t been confirmed.
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Here’s what you need to know about Baffert:
1. Baffert’s American Pharoah Was the Favorite In All 3 Triple Crown Races
Baffert’s American Pharoah (10/13) was the favorite for the Belmont, set for Saturday, May 16.
The horse was also the Kentucky Derby and Preakness favorite.
American Pharoah, ridden by Victor Espinoza, had 5/7 odds.
Baffert hadn’t won at Churchill Downs (the Derby) since 2002, when War Emblem crossed the finish line first.
2. Baffert Has 12 Triple Crown Wins
Baffert hadn’t won the Kentucky Derby since 2002. His horses have won the Derby 4 times, the Preakness Stakes 6 times and at Belmont twice now.
Kentucky Derby: 1997, 1998, 2002, 2015
Preakness Stakes: 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2010, 2015
Belmont: 2001, 2015
Baffert ended a Triple Crown victory drought that started in 2010.
His horses have finished in the money 19 times – Kentucky Derby (8), Preakness (7) and Belmont (4).
Baffert also has 8 Breeders’ Cup victories.
3. He Is in the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
Baffert won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer in 1997, 1998 and 1999 and also took home the Big Sport of Turfdom Award in ’97.
Baffert was the top earning trainer for 4 consecutive years from 1998-2001.
All of his accomplishments were recognized when he was inducted into the Thoroughbred racing’s national Hall of Fame at Saratoga, New York, in 2009.
He recorded his first win as a trainer with Baffert’s Baron at Flagstaff, Arizona, in 1971.
3. He Began His Career as a Jockey
Baffert began his career as a jockey.
In 1970 as a teen, he rode first winner in a sanctioned race at Flagstaff in Arizona.
But as Baffert got older, he began to add weight and couldn’t ride anymore. The typical jockey weighs under 110 pounds generally.
He then turned his full attention to training.
5. Baffert Is Married With 5 Children
Baffert has 5 children – 4 from his first marriage: Taylor, Canyon, Forest and Savannah.
In 2002, he married to Jill, who was a television reporter in Kentucky. The couple had a son in 2004 they named Bode, after U.S. skier Bode Miller. The family lives in California.
Baffert survived a heart attack in March 2012 while in Dubai for a race.