There is few more renowned horse racing trainers in the world than Bob Baffert. The Hall of Famer has been the dominant trainer in North America since the late 1990s, winning a joint-record of six Kentucky Derby’s, as well as eight editions of the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes on three occasions.
He is a trainer that typically attracts the interest of bettors on a horse racing betting site due to his incredible strike-rate in high-pressure races.
However, his training career has taken a hit in recent years following a ban that rocked the sport in North America. But, has Baffert recovered from the controversy or has his net worth shrunk in recent years?
Baffert’s Dominance in Stakes Races
Baffert is largely regarded as the dominant force in North American horse racing. His big breakthrough came back in 1992 after winning at the Breeders’ Cup for the first time with Thirty Slews.
However, it wasn’t until 1997 when he would finally land honors in a Triple Crown race, winning both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes with Silver Charm. Real Quiet would maintain Baffert’s emergence on the national stage 12 months later, winning both of the same legs as his stablemate before finishing second in the Belmont Stakes.
Despite that, the feat saw Baffert become the first trainer in history to win the Derby and Preakness in successive years. A dry spell would follow for Baffert in the American Classics, before landing the Preakness and Belmont Stakes with Point Given in 2001.
Further Triple Crown success would follow in 2002 and 2010, before one of his legendary horses would complete the set, as American Pharoah legendary won all three Classics in 2015, before later adding the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Justify would repeat in the feat in 2018. Baffert’s most recent Triple Crown winners were 2020 Derby winner Authentic, and 2023 Preakness victor National Treasure.
Controversial 2021 Kentucky Derby
One of the darkest moments of Baffert’s career would come in 2021. Medina Spirit was first passed the post, but was later disqualified after a medication violation.
The news made international headlines, with Baffert eventually disqualified from making entries for the next three editions of the Derby.
The ban was eventually lifted in 2024, but the damage appeared to have been done. Baffert later later disqualified after a medication violation, and completed his penalty. The trainer would also be hit with bans from other tracks, with the KHRC banning Baffert’s runners for 90 days and the NYRA temporarily banning his stable stars.
Financial Hit
In the 2021 season, Baffert won prize money in the region of $17.3 million. However, the disqualification of Medina Spirit and bans handed to his stable stars would hit his returns hard in 2022.
In the 2022 season, Baffert won $9.7 million in prize money, which was his lowest accumulation since 2008. However, the trainer has since managed to get his returns back on track, winning $12.6 million in 2023 and $14.5 million in 2024.
Much of his success in the latter would come with National Treasure, who won over $3.9 million, which included a success in the Pegasus World Cup. Further Grade One honors would also be achieved with Adare Manor, Muth, and Newgate. Breeders’ Cup success would also be achieved in the 2024 season after Citizen Bull landed victory in the Juvenile.
2025 Season
Baffert looks set to come up short of his 2024 prize money this season, but, he has still accumulated over $13.5 million.
Despite this, Baffert sits tenth in the rankings for prize money earned by trainers in 2025, with Brad Cox winning over double the amount.
However, Baffert has operated at a very reliable 31% strike-rate this season, which is the best of any trainer in the top 70. The trainer’s best performing star has been Nysos, who landed Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile honors in November.
Other graded winners for the Hall of Famer in 2025 include Splendora, Hope Road, and Rodriguez.
Derby Dreams in 2026
Baffert will be back in contention for Kentucky Derby success in 2026, and he will likely be plotting a record-breaking success at Churchill Downs.
Boyd is likely to be among the leading runners on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, having impressively won under rules on both of his two career starts to date. His most recent success at Churchill Downs in the Ed Brown Stakes was a striking success, and further improvement is likely in the early months of 2026.
Brant is also a horse with a big reputation for the Baffert yard, having landed the G1 Del Mar Futurity in September. However, he will need to show plenty of improvement as a three-year-old to feature after being well beaten by Ted Noffey in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November.
