Bob Baffert has won half of the last 16 editions of the Goodwood Stakes (G1). But trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. knows how to ship horses into California and win. He did it this year with Forged Steel, and he is set to take on Baffert-trained Nevada Beach, the 2025 Goodwood winner, with Forged Steel and Caldera.
The 1 1/8-mile Goodwood at Santa Anita Park Sept. 26 comes with a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), something Nevada Beach earned last year. Following his Goodwood victory, the son of Omaha Beach finished seventh in the Classic and then bounced back to captured the Native Diver Stakes (G3) and run second by a head in the Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes (G2). He lost all chance in the Feb. 14 Saudi Cup (G1) when he stumbled at the start and finished 12th.
In the Goodwood, 4-year-old Nevada Beach will be making his first start since the Saudi Cup. Juan Hernandez, who rode him early in his career and was aboard for the Native Diver and Pincay, returns on the 7-5 morning-line favorite.
Baffert also trains Goodwood entrant Taif, a 5-year-old son of Arrogate who has only started three times. He debuted at Los Alamitos Race Course late in his 3-year-old season when second and then didn't reappear until January of this year. Taif ran second again and didn't return until Sept. 7, when he broke his maiden at Del Mar. The Goodwood will be his stakes debut.
Earlier this year, Joseph sent Forged Steel to California for the Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita. Forged Steel annihilated a five-horse field, triumphing by 9 1/2 lengths while leading throughout the 1 1/4 miles.
"That was the best race of his life," Joseph said.
Following the Gold Cup, Forged Steel, a 4-year-old son of Vekoma , ran fifth in the Suburban Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course and seventh in the Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) at Del Mar.
"He's had a hard campaign as far as shipping, but he's held his weight well," Joseph said. "It would be nice to get a grade 1 on his résumé. In hindsight, we should have probably skipped the Pacific Classic and waited for this one. We're coming back in a better spot than the Pacific Classic, and hopefully he can run well."
Joseph is 3-for-3 with Caldera, having taken over following the death of the colt's original trainer, D. Wayne Lukas. A 4-year-old son of Liam's Map , Caldera is owned by MyRacehorse.
"You feel like you're carrying on Lukas' legacy, having this horse," Joseph said. "He was obviously an icon of racing. To have a horse coming from Mr. Lukas, you're thankful and grateful. We're hoping that if Caldera moves forward another jump, he can be right there. He has a shot to win it."
Original Sin, a 4-year-old son of Curlin trained by Brendan Walsh, ran second to Knightsbridge in the Pacific Classic and will return for the Goodwood. Ninth in the Suburban, he earlier this year won the Blame Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Vladimir Cerin has entered Mr. A. P., a 3-year-old son of American Pharoah. On dirt last year, Mr. A. P. finished second to subsequent champion 2-year-old male Ted Noffey in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) off a maiden win. He has raced exclusively on turf thus far this year, running third in the Oceanside Stakes and winning an allowance optional claimer at Del Mar before getting a wide trip when unplaced in the Gun Runner Stakes at Kentucky Downs.
Vodka Vodka, McAfee, and Midnight Mammoth round out the Goodwood field.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, September 26, 2026, Race 8Entries: Goodwood S. (G1)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Taif (KY) Emisael Jaramillo 122 Bob Baffert 8/1 2 2Vodka Vodka (CA) Kent J. Desormeaux 122 Aggie Ordonez 15/1 3 3McAfee (KY) Hector Isaac Berrios 122 George Weaver 15/1 4 4Original Sin (KY) Kazushi Kimura 124 Brendan P. Walsh 6/1 5 5Midnight Mammoth (KY) Tyler Baze 122 Craig Dollase 30/1 6 6Mr. A. P. (KY) Joel Rosario 118 Vladimir Cerin 8/1 7 7Forged Steel (KY) Edwin Gonzalez 124 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 5/1 8 8Caldera (KY) Paco Lopez 122 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 5/1 9 9Nevada Beach (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 124 Bob Baffert 7/5
