Bob Baffert Locks In for Pennsylvania Derby as Odds Rest on Failing Horse

Success comes with the challenge of maintaining it. And when you are Bob Baffert, you have set the bar way too high for yourself. As the trainer with the most G1 race wins in North America, a season like 2025 gets the critics out with their pitchforks. The point being: the show must go on with the same standards and quality, or the show should retire from being a trainer. Well, Bob Baffert is going nowhere, and he seems to be lining up for his next G1 race.

Actually, after a bad couple of months, his results have recovered thanks to his favorite Del Mar racetrack. The final weekend of August came with big wins, the Del Mar Futurity and Del Mar Debutante, both G1 Stakes. And now, to keep his G1 run going, he has targeted the Pennsylvania Derby. Agentes 305 news outlet dropped the big development on their X handle on September 17: “GOAL ORIENTED has arrived to @parxracing for the G1 PENNSYLVANIA DERBY for HOF trainer Bob Baffert”.

In the post, they shared a very short clip of Goal Oriented being walked from his Brooke Ledge Horse Van to the barn/stable area of the Parx race complex, which seemed to be the backstretch stable entrance. The Kentucky-bred colt has traveled a long way for the big 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) dirt race for the 3-year-olds.

The race is to be run on September 20, and Bob Baffert will try to make it 5 Pennsylvania Derby wins this Saturday. Not to mention the $1 million prize purse that is on offer for the horses. And the field has some big names, names that will worry Bob Baffert a little, at least. There’s Gosger, the Nyquist colt who has come second in the G1 Preakness Stakes and the G1 Haskell Stakes. Both times, Gosger has beaten Goal Oriented.

Then there’s Baeza, the McKinzie-sired colt who has come 3rd in the 2 Triple Crown races. To put it in perspective, Goal Oriented came fourth in the only Triple Crown race he ran (the Preakness Stakes). Bob Baffert is the winningest trainer at the Pennsylvania Derby, but he has his work cut out for him at Parx Racecourse in 2025. Even more so with Goal Oriented.

Bob Baffert hoping for a turn of fortune

Well, in all honesty, the Pennsylvania Derby has been on Baffert’s mind for a while. But then again, it comes down to his expectations of Goal Oriented and how prepared he may be. And the Not This Time-sired Colt was Baffert’s hope after Citizen Bull disappointed, and Rodriguez has had his injury troubles.

Even though Baffert hoped Goal Oriented would be the answer – because the legendary Bob Baffert always finds a winner – Goal Oriented hasn’t been able to keep up with the competition. Fourth in the Preakness was followed by third in the G1 Haskell Stakes. There, he got beaten by Preakness winner Journalism and Gosger.

Everyone thought the redemption would come in the $1.25 million Travers Stakes. Instead, it was a scratch from the scratch for Goal Oriented. Baffert obviously gave his reasons. “I think he needs a little bit more time,” the trainer said to Daily Racing. “I don’t think he’s ready for that. He ran hard [in the Haskell]. He’s a really big horse, and I don’t want to run him too much. I want him for next year.”

Since then, the speculation was that Goal Oriented may be held back for the Pennsylvania Derby only. And that’s how it’s unraveled. Now we wait to see what happens on September 20.