Trainer Bob Baffert wins 2,000th race
December 6, 2010INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) -Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has won his 2,000th race.
He saddled Free Pourin to victory in Sunday's third race at Hollywood Park. The 2-year-old gray colt was ridden by Joe Talamo and is owned by Mike Pegram, who was one of Baffert's earliest clients when he switched from training quarterhorses to thoroughbreds.
Baffert finished second in the race with Tokubetsu.
The 57-year-old white-haired trainer says 2,000 wins doesn't seem like much and he jokes that he's probably had 3,000 second-place finishes. He thanked the owners and stable help he's had over the years after holding up a congratulatory banner in the winner's circle.
Baffert ranks sixth all-time among trainers with earnings of $155,109,369 through Dec. 4. He has won the Kentucky Derby three times, along with six other Triple Crown victories, seven Breeders' Cup wins and 29 wins in races worth $1 million or more.