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| Staff Writer |
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Bob Baffert is well acquainted with major Thoroughbred horse sales, as he has played a key role in selecting and approving the purchase of numerous high-priced, exceptionally bred prospects. Although this wasn't always the situation, his initial acquisition could be seen as a sign of the success that would ensue.
When Baffert was transitioning from training Quarter Horses to training Thoroughbreds, he went to Kentucky with a US$20,000 budget for one of his new clients. On the third day of the auction, he found a roan son of Slewpy, whose sire was the Triple Crown-winning Seattle Slew, and decided to enter the bidding to acquire the colt. The bidding surpassed the budget, but Baffert was determined to secure the horse. He ended up paying US$30,000 for Thirty Slews, the first thoroughbred horse he purchased at auction. The owner demurred on the elevated auction price, but Baffert signed the tab and bought the horse himself.
“I was really nervous signing for the horse, because I wasn’t even sure if I had the money in my bank account,” Baffert recalled. “When the owner wouldn’t budge on the sale price, I ended up dividing up the ownership among some of my other clients. I kept a portion, though.”
The name of the horse, Thirty Slews, was inspired by a conversation Baffert had with a fellow race tracker who inquired about the amount he spent on the horse. Baffert's humorous reply referred to the price paid and the horse's famous lineage. Fast forward to the 1992 Breeders' Cup Sprint, where Baffert had entered Thirty Slews despite the 19-1 odds. He was confident about the horse's chances and his confidence paid off when the late-running roan won the race in a photo finish.
Even in the afterglow of success, Baffert thought he might have peaked too soon. However, he went on to deliver a record five winners in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, more than double his next closest rival trainer. These winners included Midnight Lute, the race's first repeat winner, and Eclipse Award-winning champion Defrong. This year, Baffert will send out Speed Boat Beach, a lightly raced son of Bayern and his first Breeders' Cup Classic winner, in the 6-furlong dash. The horse faced a difficult trip in the Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint last fall before finishing ninth, but Baffert is determined he is better on dirt and will never run on the grass again.
After a long freshening, Speed Boat Beach returned for his 3-year-old campaign in September, facing older horses for the first time in the Gr.2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship, where he just failed to catch the winner by a head at the wire. This valiant effort encouraged Baffert to enter him in the Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint.
“I really liked his comeback race,” Baffert said. “Since that effort, he’s trained really well (including a 4f final prep in :47 4/5 this morning). I’ve got the screws tightened on him now.”