Baffert-Allred connection goes back to the 1970s

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Bob Baffert began winning races for Ed Allred in the 1970s. But not as a trainer.

“Out of high school, I tried to be a jockey,” Baffert said. “He put me on a couple of winners, threw me a bone. We’ve been friends for a long time.”

Fast forward to Saturday, and the men will team with Wynstock in the Southwest at Oaklawn Park. The horse, who also is co-owned by Jack Liebau, is a somewhat rare Thoroughbred runner for Allred.

Allred is a giant in the Quarter Horse industry and owns Los Alamitos. Baffert, whose riding wins for Allred were on Quarter Horses, is now a Hall of Fame trainer of Thoroughbreds.

“He loves the Quarter Horses, has had some really good Quarter Horses,” Baffert said. “That’s his game. He called me a couple of years ago and said, ‘I want you to buy me a horse.’ He’s enjoying it.”

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Wynstock was a maiden winner in October at Santa Anita and one start later captured the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity. The New York-bred has made all of his starts to date in Southern California. As for Baffert, his younger self would have wanted to ride Wynstock in the Southwest.

“I thought I was going to be a jockey,” he said. “I did not want to be a horse trainer. I wanted to be a jockey. Trainer was Plan B. Plan A was to be a jockey. I realized that wasn’t going to happen when I was trying to talk to a lot of trainers, asking ‘Do you need anybody?’ and they would say, ‘We’re okay.’ They would see me coming and walk the other way.”

It all worked out. Baffert on Saturday will be going for a record seventh training win in the Southwest.

◗ Awesome Road, who is cross-entered in both the Southwest and the Leonatus on Friday night at Turfway Park, will run in the Southwest, trainer Brad Cox said Monday.

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