Baffert's horses feel right at home in New York

ELMONT, N.Y. – Bob Baffert’s three stakes victories at Belmont Park on Saturday – capped by Justify’s front-running score in the Belmont Stakes – continued a remarkable run of good fortune in New York for the Hall of Fame trainer, who is based in Southern California.

Starting with American Pharoah’s victory in the 2015 Belmont Stakes, Baffert has won 11 races from his last 22 starters at Belmont Park. Those wins include two Belmont Stakes and other Grade 1 fixtures such as the Metropolitan Handicap, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Ogden Phipps, and Acorn.

Over the last two Belmont Stakes Days, Baffert has won a running of each of the seven scheduled dirt stakes – three this year, four in 2017. On Thursday, the Baffert-trained Faypien finished second, beaten a neck, in the Grade 3 Intercontinental on turf.

At Saratoga, Baffert has won five of the last seven Grade 1 stakes in which he’s run: two Travers, the Forego, King’s Bishop, and Coaching Club American Oaks.

“For some reason when our horses get here they float over the tracks here,” Baffert said Saturday.

Abel Tasman is responsible for three of the 11 Grade 1 stakes Baffert has won in New York in that span, including her demolition of last Saturday’s $750,000 Ogden Phipps. Abel Tasman shipped back to Southern California on Monday, but it would be hard not to see her returning to the East Coast this summer for a race such as the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga on Aug. 25.

Hoppertunity on Saturday added the Brooklyn Stakes to his deep résumé, which also includes the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup here. Hoppertunity also returned to California on Monday. Baffert said he did not have a next race in mind for him.