Officially the king, Bob Baffert wins another Kentucky Derby

Stop me, if you’ve heard this one before.

Bob Baffert won another Kentucky Derby.

That’s right, he did it again. On a perfect afternoon with perfect weather and a perfect setting, the greatest trainer in the history of the sport officially wrote his name into the record books with his seventh Kentucky Derby victory.

Medina Spirit, a hard-knocking colt who had won just once in four previous 2021 attempts, led wire-to-wire to capture the 147th running of the $3 million Grade 1 race in a time of 2:01.02 for the mile and a quarter distance before an announced crowd of 51,838 at Churchill Downs.

Owned by Zedan Racing Stables, Medina Spirit paid $26.20, $12.00 and $7.60. Runner-up Mandaloun finished a half-length behind the winner and paid $23.00 and $13.40 to place. Third-place finisher Hot Rod Charlie was another half-length back and paid $5.20 to show. The Medina Spirit/Mandaloun exacta paid $503.60.

The victory put the 68-year-old California-based trainer one ahead of Calumet Farm’s legendary Ben A. Jones, whose colts won six Derbies between 1938 and 1952. Baffert has won three of the last five runnings. His previous winners were Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998), War Emblem (2002), American Pharoah (2015), Justify (2018) and Authentic (2020).

It was the fourth Derby win for jockey John Velazquez, who teamed up with Baffert last year on Authentic, and who won Friday’s Kentucky Oaks aboard Malathaat. The 49-year-old Velazquez won his first Derby aboard Animal Kingdom in 2011 before winning the 2017 running aboard Always Dreaming. He is now one Derby victory behind Eddie Arcaro (1938 to 1952) and Bill Hartack (1957 to 1969).

“I never thought I’d win four Derbies,” Velazquez said. “I never look at anything like that.”

Not many had looked all that seriously at Medina Spirit. After all, Baffert lost his top Kentucky Derby prospect when Life Is Good suffered an ankle injury during a workout at Santa Anita last month. When Concert Tour ran a disappointing third in the Arkansas Derby on April 10, Baffert decided to point his No. 2 prospect toward the May 15 Preakness.

That left Medina Spirit as Baffert’s last Derby colt standing. The son of Protonico was just a $35,000 purchase at the Ocala Breeders’ Two-Year-Olds Sale last year. He raced just once in 2020, winning his debut Dec. 11 before finishing second in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 2.

Medina Spirit won the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita on Jan. 30, but followed that score with a pair of second-place finishes, losing to stablemate Life Is Good by a considerable 8 lengths in the Grade 2 San Felipe on March 6, then losing by 4 1/4-lengths to Rock Your World in the Santa Anita Derby on April 3.

Still, despite Spirit’s 12-1 odds Saturday, no one should discount a Baffert entry on the first Saturday in May.

“You always worry about Bob,” said Hot Rod Charlie trainer Doug O’Neill. “You know his horses are always going to be dead-fit for this race.”

Most believed Brad Cox appeared dead-fit to become the first Louisville-born trainer to win the Kentucky Derby. His 3-1 favorite Essential Quality entered the race a perfect 5-for-5 in his career after winning the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 3. But after Godolphin’s homebred tracked the leaders for most of the race, the 3-1 favorite was unable to kick into a winning gear.

“It looked like he flattened out in the stretch,” Cox said. “But I was very happy with how (Mandaloun) ran.”

Utilizing the same strategy as last year with Authentic, Velazquez jumped to the lead and never let go. Breaking from post position eight, Medina Spirit led at every call, but never by more than a length.

“This guy,” said Baffert nodding at Velazquez, “he did it.”

Even when Mandaloun and Hot Rod Charlie fought hard to gain ground in the stretch, Medina Spirit was able to increase his lead ever so slightly at the finish.

“The last 16th (of a mile) I couldn’t believe my eyes,” Baffert said. “He has so much Silver Charm in him. He’s a fighter.”

Not that Baffert expected to win. The familiar silver-haired trainer kept a low profile all week to the point where he didn’t even attend the post-position draw on Tuesday.

“This year, I really enjoyed myself, under the radar,” Baffert said Saturday. “I thought maybe I’d get a piece of it. But Johnny said that if this horse improved off his last race he had a chance. And he was right.”

And Bob Baffert is officially the Derby King.

Said Baffert during the postrace press conference, “I never thought last night that I would be sitting here.”

Again.

Remaining 2021 Triple Crown races

May 15: Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore

June 5: Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

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