American racehorse trainer Bob Baffert is most recognized for his work with the horses American Pharoah and Justify, both of whom won the Triple Crown under his tutelage.
In addition to this, he holds the record for the most Kentucky Derby victories with seven different horses. It is anticipated that Bob Baffert will have a net worth of $35 million by the year 2022.
Bob Baffert Biography: Birthday, Parents and Early Life
Robert Baffert’s birth took place in Nogales, Arizona, in January of 1953. His parents, Bill and Elinore, were his parents. While his mother was a teacher in the Nogales public school system for the better part of four decades, his father managed the family property. Even at the A.J. Mitchell School, she was the head of administration at one point.
Baffert spent his childhood on a farm with his six siblings, where the family took care of livestock and hens. When he was a youngster, he earned $100 a day by competing as a jockey in unofficial Quarter Horse races. The next year, at the age of 17, he won his first race in the official competition.
The trainer would enroll in the Race Track Industry Program at the University of Arizona and eventually get a degree there. Baffert started his career as a full-time horse trainer after he had completed his Bachelor of Science degree and been married.
Also Read: Meet Mario Lopez: Net Worth, Biography, Wiki, Age, Nationality and Wife
Baffert had already established himself as a prominent figure in the world of horse training by the time he became 20 years old. He was in high demand as a stable manager, and was frequently engaged by other trainers to do so.
The Wealth of Bob Baffert, as well as His Career
Only one year after making the decision to train with Thoroughbreds, Baffert took home the victory in his very first Breeder’s Cup race in 1992. After another four years, the native of Arizona started preparing his horses to compete in the American classic races.
Cavonnier, ridden by Baffert, finished in second place in his first attempt in the Kentucky Derby. The next year, he rode his horse Silver Charm to victory at both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, establishing himself as the undisputed champion of both races. Baffert became the first trainer in history to win both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes in consecutive years after having another good year in 1998.
Baffert’s horses have been victorious in seven Kentucky Derbys, seven Preakness Races, and three Belmont stakes as of the month of January 2022. In addition to this, he has been the primary trainer of the two most successful horses in the almost 40 years that have passed since their debut.
American Pharoah, his two-year-old colt, won the Triple Crown in 2015, making him the first horse to do it since Affirmed in 1978, when he was the last horse to do so.
Also Read: Meet Esther Choi: Biography, Wiki, Age, Husband, Net Worth, Early Life and Career
In 2018, Baffert was responsible for training a winner of all three races in the Triple Crown. Justify is the 13th horse to achieve this particular accomplishment. Baffert is one of only two trainers in history, along with Jim Fitzsimmons, who have ever guided two horses to victory in the Triple Crown.
Baffert was inducted into the United States Racing Hall of Fame in 2009, marking the year of his formal induction. In addition, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the National Museum of Racing during the same year. Notably, he was presented with the Eclipse Award every year from 1997 to 1999 for being the best trainer.
How Much Does Bob Baffert Make? Net Worth
To begin, the victors of the Kentucky Derby in 2015 shared a reward of around $1.24 million, which might serve as a proxy for estimating how much money Baffert makes. According to estimations provided by Forbes, the prize pool for the 2018 Kentucky Derby was worth a total of $2 million, with the winning team taking home an estimated sum of $1.24 million.
Keep in mind that this is just for the winner of the Kentucky Derby. The purses for the Preakness and the Belmont are quite comparable to one another. Although the precise amount that goes to Baffert is undisclosed, it is reasonable to believe that he receives a sizeable portion of it in addition to the compensation he earns as a leading trainer.
Bob Baffert Family
Baffert has been married a total of thrice, and he is the father of five children over his three marriages. He has four children via his first wife, Sherry, whose names are Taylor, Canyon, Forest, and Savannah. His children’s middle names are also Taylor.
In addition to this, he wed his present wife Jill, who is his second wife, in the year 2002. They have a child together, a boy they called Bode, who was born in the year 2004. At the moment, the family calls the state of California home.
Controversies
Sadly, more than 30 of Baffert’s horses have been disqualified from races due to positive drug testing at some point or another. Medina Spirit, the horse who won the 2021 Kentucky Derby, was found to have positive betamethasone levels. It has not yet been decided whether or not the horse will be disqualified from the competition.
Another thing that should be alarming is the fact that Baffert’s stables have had 74 horses pass away since the year 2000. It has now been determined that not all of the animals who passed away were in the process of preparing for a race, nor were the deaths necessarily connected to the races itself.