BREEDERS' CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 1, 2025

Michael Talla

Bob Baffert

Del Mar Fairgrounds

Filly and Mare Sprint

Press Conference

Filly and Mare Sprint

THE MODERATOR: Down in the post-race press conference with winning owner Michael Talla.

Mr. Talla, let's start with you first. You've won a number of big races over the years, including the Santa Anita Derby. Where does this Breeders' Cup victory rank?

MICHAEL TALLA: I think you've got to rank it No. 1. The Santa Anita Derby was a long time ago. I wasn't used to winning a big race like that, so I wasn't understanding how hard it was to win. When you win one like that, you think you're going to keep winning. That was like 10 years ago.

Yeah, so the Breeders' Cup, that's the pinnacle. The Santa Anita Derby is one thing, but these are the best horses in the world. We had some scratches. I wish everybody could have gone because I really thought we had the best filly, and I think she could have gone even quicker. We'll never know.

There were some good horses that didn't get in. I feel sorry for those owners. They come a long ways to get here, and then they get scratched. I know how they feel. I've had some get scratched in big races, and it's not a good feeling to go home that night.

We're lucky to win. We have a great trainer, a great jockey. We had the best horse. They all put it together and pulled it out. I didn't have to do anything but clap.

THE MODERATOR: Bob, this filly is 4 for 4 here at Del Mar. How big of an advantage is it for her to be racing at this track this year?

BOB BAFFERT: I was talking to Flavien Prat before the race, and I was telling him she loves this track, and she's been working really well at Santa Anita. As a matter of fact, Michael, he came out to watch her work one morning. It was just incredible work. Maybe we got her, like, at 9 and 4. It was insane.

I told Prat, she ran a race this summer, I think it was going 6 1/2 where they output her away from there and she sat in the pocket, and a little seam opened up, and she just ran the same way.

Prat kept her a little closer. He's such a fantastic rider. You don't have to say too much to him. He saw the way the race was shaping up. My other fillies, I was hoping they'd be off the pace a little bit further. But they're out there. It's a Breeders' Cup. They leave there, they're going fast. Everybody's going fast the whole way.

Prat was in the perfect position there, and he just rode her just perfectly. When she turned for home, I knew it was over.

THE MODERATOR: One more for you before I open it up for the people who are here. Last night, the final race, Aidan O'Brien won to usurp Wayne Lukas as the winningest Breeders' Cup trainer of all time. This win now ties you with Wayne for second, one behind Aidan. I know you have a long-standing friendship with Wayne. I wonder if you could put that in perspective of being tied with Wayne for Breeders' Cup wins.

BOB BAFFERT: Wayne, we came from the same background, the bush quarter horse tracks. I came from the bush tracks of Arizona. He came from Wisconsin. We knew all the same people. Coming up, he sort of paved the way for quarter horse trainers that want to make the jump to thoroughbreds. I don't know if I would have made the jump if Wayne hadn't have done it.

He made bold moves, and he changed every industry for the better. He brought elegance into the game. As a matter of fact, I think the Breeders' Cup, when he showed up, he showed up with these big clients, Eugene Klein, and he really built up the Breeders' Cup, made it what it was.

To be part of it and then to tie him, it's an honor for me because he was -- we got pretty close the last few years. It was -- I got to spend some time with him. But I would talk to him maybe twice a week. We'd talk horses. He was always optimistic. He always told me he had a great tier on the barn, and I think I'm looking good for next year's Derby. He always had that positive thinking. He never had a bad day. Wayne never had a bad day. He looked at it that way.

To me, it's just incredible what he did in our business, what he did in the quarter horse, he changed the quarter horse business and the thoroughbred business.

I still miss him. I loved having conversations with him. It's an honor to tie him.

Q. Bob, could you talk a little bit -- Jay mentioned her stellar record at Del Mar, but what was the difference maker today for her? She'd run in graded stakes before and been second a few times, sometimes to some of your other fillies. What was the difference maker for her today?

BOB BAFFERT: She's the kind of filly that you really -- you can't take too much of a hold of her. If she ran long -- we ran her here long. If she got the lead, she kept going.

She's one of those -- I was really debating whether to run her in the Distaff, but I know there was a lot of speed in there. 1 1/8 mile, I wasn't sure, but I knew that 7/8 was going to be her -- we talked about it because we talked about the Distaff. Michael was calling me up, what do you think of this? I don't know.

We really thought the 7/8 would be perfect for her. It's a great distance for her. She's fast enough to where she can put herself in a good spot. She probably would have been tough in the Distaff too.