Trainer Bob Baffert intended to wait until March for Thousand Words’ next start along the 2020 Kentucky Derby trail, but he saw the US$1-million purchase behaving like he was ready to go sooner.

It’s that sort of flexibility that has defined Baffert’s style, and Thousand Words fittingly delivered the hall of famer his 3,000th North American victory in Saturday’s (February 1) Grade 3, US$100,000 Robert B Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita Park.

Baffert notched his eighth win in the Robert B Lewis, a race named for the late owner who, along with wife Beverly, campaigned for Baffert’s 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Silver Charm.

“I’ve always thought things happen for a reason,” Baffert said. “Bob Lewis day, a horse called Thousand Words going for 3,000. I mean, you can’t make that up.”

Thousand Words’ stablemate, High Velocity, set the pace Saturday, going through opening fractions of 23.65 and 47.20 seconds.

Jockey Flavien Prat waited in behind then guided Thousand Words between High Velocity and Tizamagician off the turn. The Pioneer of the Nile colt out-dueled those two and Royal Act to the finishing line, improving to a perfect three-for-three in his career.

The Peter Eurton-trained Royal Act got up to nab second, with High Velocity third and Tizamagician fourth.

Campaigned by Albaugh Family Stables and Spendthrift Farm, Thousand Words similarly propelled past High Velocity in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) in December after debuting a winner in October.

“I thought that High Velocity was maybe going to steal it,” Baffert said. “He has a lot of speed and hung in there well…

“[ Thousand Words] is getting better, he’s sort of an immature colt. He sort of grinds and you’ve got to really work at it, but he’s got a big, long stride, and the further the better for him. He came back and he wasn’t tired, so that’s a good sign, and he’s just progressed with every race. To win three in a row like that, that’s pretty impressive.”

Each of the top four horses earned Derby-qualifying points on a 10-4-2-1 basis. Thousand Words‘ 20 points have him third on the 2020 Road to the Kentucky Derby behind Storm the Court and Tiz the Law, who both sport 22.

With Thousand Words‘ final time 1:43.64 for 1 1/16 miles, the colt added to the barn’s other Derby trail success this season. Eight Rings took the American Pharoah (G1) and Authentic emerged in the Sham Stakes (G3) as well.

As Baffert rolls toward the Triple Crown season with another typically talented arsenal of three-year-olds, the trainer took time Saturday to reflect on his 3,000th victory. He mentioned top assistant Jimmy Barnes and owners Hal Earnhardt and Mike Pegram, both of whom convinced the Nogales, Arizona, native to try his hand at thoroughbreds.

“I’ve had a lot of good people work with me through the years, the clients,” Baffert said. “The first 50 were probably the toughest, but 100 of them were life-changers.

“I feel very blessed and fortunate that I’ve been able to last this long in the business and do so well coming from the quarter horse business.”