BALTIMORE — Bob Baffert choked back tears and his voice cracked while he tried to juggle the conflicting feelings of seeing one of his horses win the Preakness Stakes on Saturday evening, just hours after another was euthanized on the same track.
“This business is twists and turns, ups and downs,” the National Racing Hall of Fame trainer said. “To win this — losing that horse today really hurt. … It’s been a very emotional day.”
National Treasure won the Preakness in Baffert’s return to the Triple Crown trail after a suspension, ending Kentucky Derby champion Mage’s Triple Crown bid in the race Baffert has now captured more than any other trainer. But the joy was tempered by the agony of another 3-year-old colt, Havnameltdown, injuring his left front leg in an undercard race and being put down.
“When he got hurt, it’s just the most sickening feeling a trainer can have,” Baffert said. “It put a damper on the afternoon.”
It also put the sport squarely back in a familiar spot, two weeks after seven horses died in a 10-day span at Louisville’s Churchill Downs leading up to the Derby.