Haskell 2023: Bob Baffert's complicated legacy at Monmouth Park over the years
It was the night before the biggest day in 77 years of racing along Oceanport Avenue, as the group, which included trainer Bob Baffert, dined in a Pier Village restaurant in Long Branch prior to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah running in the 2015 Haskell at Monmouth Park.
“(Baffert) was with Jill and two of his sons, and my wife, my younger son and (racing secretary) Mike Dempsey,” said former Monmouth Park president Bob Kulina, who led the expedition to Baffert’s Hollywood Park barn in 1997 that would alter the trajectory of the track’s signature race. “We sat in the corner and he just told stories. An incredible evening, like you would have with a bunch of old college roommates. A couple of people came up and asked for his autograph and he graciously signed.
“Bob is a star.”
Except now the sport’s most identifiable figure has emerged as a lightning rod for racing’s ills as he prepares to run Arabian Knight in Saturday’s $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes, looking for his record 10th victory in the Grade 1 fixture.
So do the high-profile failed drug tests, suspensions and legal wranglings over the past few years taint his legacy at the Jersey Shore and the race he has dominated for two decades?
More: Oceanport braces for state's high-stakes gamble to allow condos & hotel at Monmouth Park
“I think about that a lot, and in my mind no, it doesn’t,” said Kulina, the son of a trainer and who retired in 2017 after devoting his life to Monmouth Park.
Like everything in racing these days, it’s complicated. There’s little middle ground here. Either you think Baffert embodies everything that’s wrong with the game, or is simply the victim of changing times and high-tech testing.
More: Kentucky Derby winner Mage to run in Haskell; what it means for Monmouth Park's big race
Kulina’s point, however, is well taken. While Baffert’s presence can’t help but cast a long shadow, there’s no denying the positive impact he’s had on Monmouth Park and New Jersey racing. His success shipping top horses from the West Coast served to strengthen the Haskell’s standing among the top races in the country, while keeping the track in the national spotlight.
More: Monmouth Park owes $60 million to management firm: tax filing
It’s unlikely anyone, anywhere, has dominated a race like Baffert has the Haskell. From 16 starts, he has nine wins, six seconds and a third, bankrolling $7.7 million in purse money and $200,000 in trainer bonuses.
“I credit Bob with so much of it,” Kulina said. “Mr. (Jimmy) Croll and Sonny Hine were that first generation that made the Haskell great. After that, Bob came and he brought great horses that fit our racetrack really well.”
That, right there, is what Baffert has understood better than anyone else. Speed is critical in the Haskell, and he consistently ships really fast horses that have excelled on a speed-favoring track. Taiba’s time last year would have shattered Spend a Buck’s long-standing track record last year, except Cyberknife was even faster on an oval that was lighting quick throughout the afternoon.
And in two career starts, Arabian Knight, purchased for $2.3 million as a 2-year-old by Zedan Racing, has never trailed.
“For him to respect the race and the people in New Jersey to bring the caliber of horses he has brought, he is special. It’s just a special thing,” Kulina added.
When you put all that on the scale, does it balance out Medina Spirit’s failed drug test that negated a 2021 Kentucky Derby win, and the fact that his second Triple Crown winner, Justify, failed a drug test after winning the 2018 Santa Anita Derby that should have prevented him from running in the Kentucky Derby?
While some see Baffert's case as black and white, at Monmouth Park there’s a little gray area when it comes to his legacy.
Here’s a look at all nine of Baffert’s Haskell winners:
Point Given (2001)
It marked the first time a horse with two Triple Crown race wins was sent to the Haskell since Alysheba in 1987, with Point Given having won the Preakness and Belmont. The purse was upped to $1.5 million to make it happen, and Point Given struggled to win by a half-length over Touch Tone.
War Emblem (2002)
War Emblem was Baffert’s third Triple Crown near-miss, with the colt winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, just like Silver Charm (1997) and Real Quiet (1998). In the Haskell, War Emblem led every step of the way as the heavy favorite in a field of five.
Roman Ruler (2005)
Unlike most of Baffert’s Haskell horses, Roman Ruler liked to come from off the pace. And after pulling off a nice rally to win the Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park, Roman Ruler did the same thing in the Haskell, rallying past Sun King in the final furlong.
Lookin At Lucky (2010)
Baffert’s fourth Haskell winner moved him ahead of Jimmy Croll and Sonny Hine for the most ever. The Preakness winner took charge as the field moved around the far turn, and drew off down the stretch for a four-length victory under jockey Martin Garcia.
Coil (2011)
It didn't look good in this one, with Coil breaking slowly and trailing in the field of eight after six furlongs. But Garcia started moving up as they approached the far turn, getting up to beat favored Shackleford by a neck even though his biggest previous win was in a Grade 3 race.
Paynter (2012)
The Santa Anita Derby winner, coming of a second-place finish in the Belmont Stakes, sat just off the lead before rolling to a 3 3/4 length win as the even-money favorite. Two days later he began to developed colitis and would not race again for a year, and never won another graded stake.
Bayern (2014)
Going off at 9/2, the highest price for any Baffert Haskell runner, Bayern came off a win in the Woody Stephens Stakes and led every step of the way, racing unchallenged through moderate early fractions en route to a 7 1/2 length win.
American Pharoah (2015)
The biggest moment ever at Monmouth Park, as Baffert’s Triple Crown winner, the first in 37 years, produced a convincing victory. The appearance resulted in a record attendance of 60,983, and then-record Haskell Day handle.
Authentic (2020)
In front of an empty grandstand during the COVID-19 pandemic, Authentic held off Ny Traffic before going on to win the Kentucky Derby on Labor Day weekend and the Breeders’ Cup Classic, thus earning the $1 million BetMakers bonus for winning all three.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Monmouth Park NJ: Bob Baffert's complicated Haskell legacy
