Bob Baffert didn’t cross the country for Philly cheesesteaks alone. The Hall of Fame trainer shipped a promising 3-year-old colt from the West Coast to Parx Racing this weekend, and already, the brown colt is earning serious respect. Baffert dropped a little hint himself: “He’s a big horse he got stuck [between horses] and he could not get going right away. He is got to get a clear shot.” Judging by the buzz from people who watched Barnes gallop this morning, it’s not just the trainer who’s excited; fans and watchers are already buzzing along the same lines, that a star may be in the making.
Meet Barnes, owned by Zedan Racing Stables, Inc. The colt is 2-for-3 around one turn, boasting a Grade 2 victory and a Grade 1 placing at Saratoga. Tyler Gaffalione will take the reins for the first time in Saturday’s six-furlong Gallant part of Pennsylvania Weekend. Social media is buzzing too, one post summed it up perfectly: “All Love to BARNES as he galloped this morning ahead of his run this Saturday in the G2 GALLANT BOB for HOF Bob Baffert & @ZedanRacing.” The hype is on, and the fans of the Colts are already fantasizing about glory.
The aspect that is particularly interesting about Barnes is his resilience. He has already been to the other side of the country three times in less than a month and has not skipped a beat. After a 5th place in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, Baffert switched his focus and trained Barnes as a sprinter, and eventually, the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes on December 26 at Santa Anita.
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But..wait, the field won’t be easy-peasy at all.
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Sure, Barnes is the morning-line favorite at 2-1, but his competitors, including Neoequos (5-2), Donut God (4-1), and Retribution (5-1), are also tough enough. A dozen 3-year-olds will be made to run six furlongs of dirt on the 20th of September, 2025, and with this kind of talent and expectation in one race, the Gallant Bob Stakes is going to be fireworks. Admittedly, since Barnes has this obvious shot, which Baffert has been talking about, he can as well illuminate the track. But Baffert played smart here as he has another colt also on line that too is in the headline event.
Bob Baffert’s next star heads to the Pennsylvania Derby
Bob Baffert and Irad Ortiz Jr. are an extremely powerful team that includes Goal Oriented, which is a colt whose initial results already predetermined the high level of performance. By Not This Time out of Bizzy Caroline and bred by Runnymede Farm LLC & CWC Investment 2, LLC in Kentucky, Goal Oriented began his career in style, breaking his maiden in a $65,000 special weight race at Santa Anita with a 3¼-length hand ride from Juan Hernandez.
He did not stop there, but his third-place finish at the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 19, 2025, right behind Journalism and Gosger, showed him that he can compete well with his peers.
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In a glimpse of the future, Goal-Oriented is serious business once we look at the Pennsylvania Derby in 2025 at Parx Racing. The 1 1/8-mile dirt race has a purse of one million and has some of the three-year-olds like Baeza, Gosger, and Magnitude.
Goal Oriented has 5/2 morning line odds to win because of his recent form, the training of his trainer, Baffert, and the tactical riding of the rider, Ortiz Jr., who has made him a compelling competitor. To both betters and the racing fans, this colt is the one to keep an eye on once post time comes around on the 20th of September, 2025.