Over
the years, Baffert, the elite trainer of thoroughbreds in America, has sent out
five winners of the Kentucky Derby, second in the history of the race, He's the
only trainer to ever win both the Derby and Preakness Stakes in successive
years, with Silver Charm (1997) and Real Quiet (1998). He sent out American
Pharoah to win the Triple Crown in 2015, the first earned since Affirmed in
1978.
It
all started with Cavonnier, though. Looking back, Baffert can admit that at the
time he wondered if that was where it would finish for him.
Unraced
at two, Baffert entered Cavonnier in the 1996 Kentucky Derby. The colt would be
his first Derby starter. Leading down the stretch, Cavonnier was nipped at the
wire by Grindstone in a photo finish.
Baffert
was devastated.
“When I lost the photo, it was like the toughest loss I
ever had,” Baffert told Americasbestracing.net. “For a year, it really bugged
me.
“I never thought I'd be back again. I thought it was my
only shot to win.”
A Derby First
A Kentucky Derby starter. It's the dream of every person
who trains a thoroughbred racehorse in North America. For them, it's the
pinnacle of their sport. It's their Super Bowl, their World Cup, their Olympic
Games.
When the horses load into the starting gate for the 146th
edition of the Run For The Roses on Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville,
Ky., for the first time in his career, Saffie Joseph Jr. will saddle a Derby
horse.
His horse isn't one of the favorites in the Triple
Crown odds. Joseph's NY Traffic will start from post position
No. 15 and is listed at odds of 20-1.
Nonetheless, Joseph's roan colt is one of the 18 starters
in the biggest event in North American horse racing. He'll be rubbing shoulders
with the likes of Baffert. In fact, Baffert's Authentic, the 8-1 third betting
choice in Saturday's race, nipped NY Traffic by a nose this year in the
Haskell.
“It means everything,” Joseph told Bloodhorse.com
of being in the Derby. “This is why we do it.
“That's why we get up early, go to bed
late, work basically the whole day, and just think of our horses all day.
“We're blessed to be in this
position. I know how hard it is to get here. It's been hard, so I'm not taking
anything for granted. I'm very thankful and I know that a lot of people made it
possible.”
Third Generation Horseman
Saffie Joseph
Jr. is a third-generation horseman. Photo by: YouTube.com screenshot (WFLA).
Joseph followed in the path set down
first by his grandfather and then by his father. All three were horsemen in
their native Barbados.
Today, Joseph Jr. is the leading trainer
at Florida's Gulstrearm Park.
“My dad was a trainer,” Joseph said.
“I wanted to follow in his footsteps. He only trained in Barbados.
“I had a lot more crazy ideas to come to
America and try to compete but so far it's worked out. It's worked out because
we've been given opportunities like really good owners. They make it
possible.”
NY Traffic came to Jospeph's barn for his
three-year-old season. His first race in his new stable was in an optional
claimer at Gulfstream Park in January. It's eight months later and NY Traffic
is in the Ketucky Derby.
He's still in search of his victory in a
stakes race but NY Traffic has placed in four consecutive graded stakes events.
He was third in a division of the Risen Star Stakes, second in the Louisiana
Derby (G2) and second in the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.
In his last start at the Haskell Stakes,
NY Traffic closed ground strongly and nearly got Authentic at the wire.
“It gives us a lot of confidence going
into the Derby,” Joseph said.
After starting a Derby horse, the next
goal on the bucket list is winning the Derby.
“That is my dream and hopefully we
can accomplish it one day,” Joseph said. “It would be nice to
accomplish it this year but if not, hopefully one day.
“It would mean the world to us if we
could get it done.”
