Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is aiming for a record-extending ninth win in the $2 million Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course on May 17. On May 11, he took a step toward that goal by sending his horse, Goal Oriented, to the Churchill Downs track for a half-mile workout.
This workout followed just eight days after the colt, a son of Not This Time, won his second race in an allowance event on the Kentucky Derby undercard on May 3. Baffert explained that the purpose of the workout was to ensure that Goal Oriented was in top shape after his victory. “I just wanted to do some maintenance work and see how he handled it,” Baffert said. “He’s had only two starts, and you want to see how it affects him mentally. Some horses can become nervous or uptight. But he handled it like a pro.”
With exercise rider Eric Garcia aboard, Goal Oriented worked alone. Baffert instructed Garcia to start easy before picking up the pace slightly. Goal Oriented completed the half-mile in 47 3/5 seconds, the fourth-fastest of 35 horses at that distance on Sunday.
“He went half a mile real easy. He did it on his own,” Baffert noted. “He was nice and relaxed, and it looks like the race didn’t take much out of him.”
Goal Oriented made his debut on April 6 at Santa Anita Park, winning a six-furlong race by 3 1/4 lengths. During the Kentucky Derby undercard, Baffert had jockey Flavien Prat keep Goal Oriented clear of other horses, as the colt did not seem to like the dirt hitting his face. This time, Prat placed him in the lead, where he held off a late challenge from Hypnus to win by three-quarters of a length.
“He just galloped around,” Baffert said about the race. “It looked like Hypnus was coming to him, but he wasn’t going to pass him. They could’ve gone another round, and Hypnus wouldn’t have gotten by him.”
Now, Goal Oriented is set to make his third career start in just two weeks. Initially, Baffert had considered entering the colt in the $100,000 Sir Barton Stakes on the Preakness undercard. However, with the horse bouncing back from his allowance race and the Wood Memorial (G2) winner, Rodriguez, still recovering from a foot injury, Baffert decided to enter Goal Oriented in the Preakness instead.
“I don’t think distance will be a problem for him; he’s a big, powerful horse,” Baffert said. “He’s undefeated, and I think he’s sitting on another big race. Why not take a chance at the Preakness? It’s an important race, and it’s exciting to win it.”
While moving from an allowance race to a classic race like the Preakness is a big leap, Baffert has taken similar chances in the past. He referenced Justify, who went from a maiden to an allowance race before winning the 2018 Santa Anita Derby (G1) and ultimately the Triple Crown. Though Baffert is not comparing Goal Oriented to Justify, he sees some similarities.
“I’m not comparing him to Justify, but he’s a big, strong horse like him, so I think he can handle it,” Baffert said. “He’s got a great mind. It’s a lot to ask, but I’ve always had a high opinion of this horse. He’s big and strong, and he’s handled everything so far—shipping and winning.”
Goal Oriented, who is bred in Kentucky by Runnymede Farm and CWC Investment 2, has Preakness pedigree. His dam, Bizzy Caroline, is a daughter of 2005 Preakness and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Afleet Alex. Bizzy Caroline was also a two-time grade 3 winner on turf.
Owned by a large partnership including SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan, Goal Oriented shares ownership with Rodriguez, who was also trained by Baffert.
Rodriguez, who was scratched from the Kentucky Derby due to a foot issue, returned to training on May 11. Baffert mentioned that Rodriguez looked better than he had before the Derby. On Sunday, Rodriguez worked a half-mile in 49 seconds, ranking 20th out of 35 horses at the distance.
“Rodriguez went nice; he looked really good,” Baffert said. “If I hadn’t already decided to skip the Preakness, I might have been tempted to run him.”
Despite his improvement, Baffert confirmed he would stick to his initial plan and prepare Rodriguez for the $2 million Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 7 at Saratoga Race Course.
“I missed that timing,” Baffert said. “There’s nothing worse than rushing a horse into a race. I couldn’t train him properly for the Preakness, but he looks like he’s moving in the right direction now.”
