Bob Baffert will have a string stabled at Churchill Downs for the Louisville, Ky., track's spring meet, the Hall of Fame trainer told Horse Racing Nation March 19.
"I'm just bringing a group of nice horses to Churchill," he said. "Just splitting the barn up. I will still have a string in California."
The horses he brings to Churchill will also run at Keeneland's spring meet, which runs April 3-24. Churchill's spring meet begins the next day, April 25, and concludes June 28.
Those meets feature several graded races with top-dollar purses, led by the $5 million Kentucky Derby (G1) and $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks (G1).
"We're going to nominate to all those big stakes races," Baffert said. "I'm going to have a lot of nice horses there."
Keeneland hosts the $750,000 Ashland Stakes (G1), $600,000 Transylvania Stakes (G3T), and $400,000 Beaumont Stakes (G2) on the first day of its meet. The second day of the meet is headlined by the $1.25 million Blue Grass Stakes (G1), and an additional 13 graded stakes with a minimum purse of $350,000 are slated for the spring meet.
Besides the Derby and Oaks, Derby weekend at Churchill Downs features the La Troienne Stakes (G1), American Turf Stakes (G1T), Churchill Downs Stakes (G1), Derby City Distaff Stakes (G1), and Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (G2T), each worth $1 million, as well as the $1.5 million Turf Classic Stakes (G1T).
Baffert pointed to the state of California racing—smaller purses and fields—compared to Kentucky as a factor in his decision to bring horses east.
"It just gets tougher," he said. "You see what's happening in California. It's hard."
He added, "I'll still have horses in California, but I just need more places to run. We have a shortage of horses out here. I've got a lot of horses in the same category, and there's more options there in Kentucky."
Baffert did not say how many horses or which ones he will send to Churchill, but he has several who are on the road to the Derby and Oaks. Some will eventually make their way to Louisville.
Potente is currently eighth on the Derby points leaderboard with 50 points, which all but secures his place in the starting gate May 2. He and Cherokee Nation, who has three points, are slated for the April 4 Santa Anita Derby (G1).
Another of the 3-year-olds under Baffert's legendary tutelage, Litmus Test, has 34 points but will need to help himself if he is to make a run for the roses. Same applies to Buetane (16 points), Brant (14), Desert Gate (9), and Blacksmith (5), who is entered in the March 21 Louisiana Derby (G2).
For the May 1 Kentucky Oaks, Baffert finds himself in an enviable position with some of the top fillies.
Explora sits atop the Oaks leaderboard with a commanding 95 points after winning the Honeybee Stakes (G3). Bottle of Rouge, who is owned by Baffert's wife, Jill, is third, coming off a victorious Virginia Oaks, and has 57.5 points, and Forced Entry, who won the Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3) March 8 to earn 50 points, is seventh. All likely have enough points to qualify for the Oaks, which will be run under the lights at Churchill Downs for the first time.
The fabled Louisville track reopened its barns March 17. Baffert does not yet know when his horses will arrive.
