The back wall of Bob Baffert’s office at Churchill Downs is entirely covered by a custom-made print, created by his wife Jill as she remodels his on-track digs.
In it, American Pharoah and Justify are neck-and-neck, as if crossing a finish line in a match race for the ages. It never happened, of course. Pharoah won the Triple Crown in 2015, breaking a then 37-year-old hex that created a near cathartic roar at Belmont Park. Three years later, Justify took his run for glory, again winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont.
Baffert trained them both and is one of only two trainers to lead two horses to the elusive Triple Crown.
Which is to say the Hall of Fame trainer knows a good horse when he sees him, not just in his conformation but in his presence. On a recent spring afternoon, Baffert went to his California barn to visit a newly acquired colt. The horse had just galloped for him at Santa Anita, confirming what the trainer saw the first time he spied him – that he was a true athlete with all the physical tools to do something magical.
But back at the stall, Baffert saw something else. The horse practically stared the trainer in the eye, conveying a message that Baffert immediately interpreted.
“It’s like he knows he’s a bad ass,’’ Baffert told CNN Sports this week while hanging in his office on the backside of Churchill Downs. “The great ones, they know. They know they’re bad asses.’’
Baffert didn’t add the kicker, but it hung there unspoken inside his office: He better be. The horse, since named Zedan, was sold in April for $10.5 million at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale in Florida. It is the second-highest price tag for a 2-year-old in North American history, trailing only a horse by the name of The Green Monkey that sold for $16 million in 2006.
Horse sales are truly a luxury for the exceptionally rich. The equines are purchased on slightly more than a wish and a prayer but far less than a guaranteed return on investment. A horse is worth only what a human is willing to pay for it, the figure often determined by pedigree and potential. Zedan is out of Flightline, the 2022 horse of the year, who retired undefeated after six starts, and the mare is from Into Mischief, the best stallion going these days.
But as a two-year-old, Zedan offers a little bit more information than a yearling. He’s already worked out, allowing people such as Baffert to get a legit evaluation of his ability as a racehorse. At an Ocala farm, Zedan – then known only as Hip 1056 – ran a furlong in nine-and-three-fifths seconds. Anything less than 12 seconds is considered fast.
“It’s like we’re buying (Fernando) Mendoza, after he’s already come out of the combine,’’ Baffert said. “You know why he’s No. 1 in the draft.’’
That got tongues wagging in preparation for the sale and Baffert warned his interested owner, Amr Zedan, “He’s going to be expensive.’’
A US-born Saudi businessman, Zedan (the horse is named in honor of his father), only got into the horse racing game a decade ago. A former polo player who championed that sport and owned a team in Saudi Arabia, he pivoted to thoroughbreds when, in 2016, he had the opportunity to partner on a horse for the Dubai World Cup.
California Chrome, the 2014 Kentucky Derby winner, went on to win in Dubai, giving Zedan a taste of success.
Determined not to be just a bit player, Zedan opened his own stables in Lexington and put together his own racing team, working to secure the best horses, stallions and trainers. That’s what led him to Baffert. In just his fifth year in business, Zedan thought he hit the jackpot.
His Baffert-trained Medina Spirit crossed the finish line a half-length ahead of Mandaloun to win the 2021 Kentucky Derby but later tested positive for an anti-inflammatory, permissible for use but not allowed to be in the horse’s system on race day, beginning a protracted testing procedure that ultimately led to the horse’s disqualification as the Derby winner. Zedan fought not only that, but what would stretch into a three-year suspension of Baffert, a suspension that cost Zedan the chance to race Muth, a Baffert-trained horse, at the 2024 Derby.
“I wouldn’t say I’m hungry for a Derby winner; I’m starving,’’ Zedan told CNN Sports.
He did not, however, open his wallet without consideration to purchase Zedan. He approached the sale much like he does most of his business ventures, rationalizing that surrounding yourself with the best gives you the best shot at great results.
He trusted Baffert as well as bloodstock agent Donnato Lanni to properly evaluate the horse, and went in eyes wide open, well aware that there would be a bidding war.
Lanni handled the actual bidding, outdueling both Lane’s End, a Versaille, Kentucky-based farm, and a consortium of Jockey Club owners who pooled resources to try to land the horse. Baffert watched it all on his laptop from California, chuckling as the board showing the horse’s price flaked out momentarily.
“I don’t think it ever went that high,’’ Baffert laughed.
The numbers kept climbing, to seven and eight million, finally topping out at Zedan’s winning bid.
“Some people think I’m crazy,’’ Zedan said. “But again, I have surrounded myself with pros. That mitigates the risk. And the horse doesn’t know how much he costs, right?”
For now, Baffert is keeping an eye on the horse, making sure he stays fit and healthy. Eventually, he’ll turn him loose and see if he’s worth it.
For what it’s worth, The Green Monkey, the $16-million horse, made his debut in September 2007. The 2-5 favorite finished third. A month later, he entered a seven-furlong race for nonwinners. In a field of seven, he finished fourth. Retired not long after to stud, he failed to produce there as well and in 2018, after battling laminitis, was euthanized.
“I try to be very measured,’’ Zedan said. “I want him to be healthy, unjinxed and get him to the races. I hope he’ll be good for us, good for the industry and a good stallion one day. Only time will tell, though, right?”