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Bob Baffert is eyeing a record-extending ninth victory in the US$2 Gr.1 million Preakness Stakes with his undefeated colt Goal Oriented, who took another step towards the classic with an impressive workout at Churchill Downs.
The Not This Time colt breezed a half mile in: 47 3/5, the fourth-fastest of 35 horses at the distance on Sunday, just eight days after improving his record to 2-for-2 in an allowance race on the Gr.1 Kentucky Derby undercard.
"I just wanted a little maintenance work. I just wanted to see how he handled it," Baffert said. "He's only had two (starts), and you want to see how it affects him mentally. Some horses get a little uptight or get tense or nervous. He handled it like a pro."
Goal Oriented's rapid rise to classic contention comes as his stablemate Rodriguez, winner of the Gr.2 Wood Memorial , continues his recovery from a foot issue that caused his withdrawal from the Kentucky Derby. The same ownership partnership has now turned their attention to Goal Oriented for the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Exercise rider Eric Garcia was aboard Goal Oriented for Sunday's solo workout, with Baffert instructing him to start off easy before picking up the pace slightly.
"He went a half real easy. He did it on his own," Baffert said. "That's all he needed, he was nice and relaxed. Looks like the race didn't take too much out of him."
Tom Ryan of SF Racing noted the colt's mental strength: "He's a very tractable sort of horse that has gears and seems to be strong mentally. We've seen evidence with these Not This Times, there's no limit to what they can do—turf, dirt, long, or short."
Goal Oriented only made his debut on April 6 at Santa Anita Park, winning a six-furlong maiden by 3¼ lengths despite breaking last and running greenly. He followed up with a front-running victory in a 1 1/16-mile allowance at Churchill Downs on Derby day, holding off Hypnus by three-quarters of a length in sloppy conditions.
"He went around there just galloping," Baffert said of the allowance win. "It looked like (Hypnus) was coming to him, he wasn't going to get by him. They could have gone another round, but he wasn't going to get by him."
The Hall of Fame trainer had initially considered the US$100,000 Sir Barton Stakes on the Preakness undercard for Goal Oriented, but with the colt bouncing out of his race so well and Rodriguez still recovering, Baffert decided to aim higher.
"I think the distance is not going to be a problem for him; he's a big, powerful horse," Baffert said. "I think he's sitting on another big race, and he's undefeated. Why not take a chance at the Preakness? It's an important race, and it's exciting when you win the Preakness."
Bred in Kentucky by Runnymede Farm and CWC Investment 2, Goal Oriented has Preakness bloodlines. His dam, Bizzy Caroline, is a daughter of 2005 Preakness and Gr.1 Belmont Stakes winner Afleet Alex. Bizzy Caroline was herself a two-time Group Three winner on grass and is a half-sister to 2017 champion turf female Lady Eli.
The colt was purchased for US$425,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is owned by a large partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan—the same connections who own Rodriguez.
While acknowledging it's a significant step up from allowance company to a classic, Baffert referenced Justify, who followed a similar maiden-to-allowance route before winning the 2018 Gr.1 Santa Anita Derby and going on to secure the Triple Crown.
"I'm not comparing him to Justify, but he's a big, strong horse like Justify, so I think he can handle it," Baffert said. "He's got a great mind. It's asking a lot, but I've always been really high on this horse. He's a big, strong horse. He's handled everything thrown at him; he shipped, he won."
Ryan added: "He's really come out of his race in incredible form. He's bounced out floating over the track. He's a big, stylish, quality two-turn colt whom we feel has the foundation to come back in two weeks. Not to be too cliche, but he's putting his hand up for it."
Meanwhile, Rodriguez appears to be on the mend, working a half-mile in :49 on Sunday morning, his first work since being scratched from the Derby.
"He went nice, he went really nice," Baffert said. "I think Rodriguez, the way he worked today, I could have been tempted to run him (in the Preakness)."
However, Baffert is sticking to his original decision to aim the Authentic colt at the US$2 million Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on June 7.
"I missed that time. There's nothing worse than trying to rush your horse into it," Baffert said. "I couldn't train him properly for the Preakness, and finally we got a work in today and it looks like we're moving the right way."
He told Daily Racing Form, "I couldn't prep him like I wanted to. Once he had the foot issue, you got to let those things simmer down. I didn't have enough time."
Elsewhere, Kentucky Derby runner-up Journalism galloped for the first time since his second-place finish, having jogged for two days at Churchill.
"He looked great, showed good energy," said Justin Curran, assistant to California-based trainer Michael McCarthy. The Preakness decision for Journalism remains pending.
American Promise, winner of the Virginia Derby and 16th in the Kentucky Derby, went for a spirited gallop on Friday morning. Seven-time Preakness-winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas said, "He's doing exceptionally well. He's back in the feed tub, no worse for wear, almost like he didn't participate the other day."
River Thames, trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, was scheduled to work at Belmont Park in preparation for the Preakness, while Brendan Walsh had Gr.3 Lexington Stakes winner Gosger pencilled in for a workout at Keeneland.