With Bob Baffert skipping Preakness, meet the man taking care of his horses
BALTIMORE — When Bob Baffert announced he’d skip Saturday’s Preakness — not wanting to be a distraction amid the Medina Spirit drug controversy — he also knew he had a capable replacement.
“Jimmy can handle it,” Baffert said.
“Jimmy” is Jimmy Barnes, who has served as Baffert’s assistant since 1998.
When Baffert needs to leave Churchill Downs to return to his California home, Barnes stays behind. When Baffert has horses running at Santa Anita Park, Barnes is the one tending to others at Oaklawn Park or Keeneland or wherever else he’s needed.
And while it’s new for Baffert to skip a Triple Crown race, it’s seemingly no big deal for Barnes to be in the Triple Crown spotlight at Pimlico Race Course this week.
“I’m used to it,” Barnes said. “I travel all the time, and I’m always on the road. Bob’s there sometimes, great. If Bob can’t make it, I just have to pick up the slack and just march on and try to do my best and try to produce a win.”
RELATED COVERAGE | What horsemen are saying about Baffert controversy
Barnes has spent the week tending to three Baffert trainees at Pimlico — Medina Spirit and Concert Tour for Saturday’s Preakness and Beautiful Gift for Friday’s Black-Eyed Susan.
Medina Spirit is the subject of controversy after winning the Kentucky Derby and then testing positive for 21 picograms of betamethasone, a banned substance on race day. If a second sample comes back positive — which likely won’t be known for several weeks — Medina Spirit will be disqualified as the Kentucky Derby winner, according to Churchill Downs.
With that story circulating nationally this week, Baffert chose to stay away from Pimlico.
“I go to Baltimore to have a good time. It’s a fun trip,” Baffert told The Associated Press. “I don’t want to take away from the horses. I think it’d be a distraction if I went. I think it’d be a distraction if I win.”
RELATED COVERAGE | Why your horse can and can't win the Preakness
Enter Barnes, who has declined to comment on the controversy this week.
While talking outside the Preakness stakes barn Thursday morning, Barnes was asked what it was like to break the news of Medina Spirit’s positive test result to Baffert.
“I’m going to keep this interview to the horses,” Barnes responded. “We have (bee
n) training here for the Preakness, so if you can keep your questions to that, I’d appreciate it.”
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who has long-shot Ram entered in the Preakness, joked Thursday that he’s serving as Baffert’s “spokesperson” this week.
Lukas defended Baffert, saying he knows he didn’t cheat because “he doesn’t need to. He had the best horse in the Derby.”
Lukas did say he encouraged Baffert to attend the Preakness.
“I told him, ‘Bob, you need to step up and stand down there and say, “OK, here’s what it is,” ’ Lukas said. “He’s on lockdown at home. He’s commissioned me as his spokesperson, and that’s not helping me any.”
Over the years, Baffert has routinely praised the work of Barnes during a Hall of Fame career that has included two Triple Crowns and 17 victories in Triple Crown races.
Unfortunately for Barnes, he may be best-known for a pair of broken bones. In 2017, Barnes suffered a fractured pelvis and internal bleeding when he was unseated by his pony at Santa Anita Park.
Just minutes before last September’s Kentucky Derby, Barnes suffered a broken wrist when Thousand Words flipped in the paddock. Barnes was in an ambulance heading to a Louisville hospital when Authentic won the race.
Barnes hopes his biggest challenge Saturday is having to saddle two horses and simply finding out which one is better.
“It’s really not a challenge,” he said. “It’s what we do. You treat each one individually and train them in that fashion. The only thing I worry about is if they get in each other’s way in a race.”
Follow Jason Frakes on Twitter: @KentuckyDerbyCJ.