Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who famously guided American Pharoah and Justify to Triple Crown glory, believes he has found another exceptional athlete. Baffert, who helped break a 37-year Triple Crown drought in 2015, recently scouted a newly acquired colt at his California barn. The trainer noted that the horse possesses a rare presence, remarking, “It’s like he knows he’s a bad ass. The great ones, they know.”
The horse, now named Zedan, was purchased for $10.5 million this April at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale in Florida. This figure marks the second-highest price ever paid for a 2-year-old in North American history, surpassed only by The Green Monkey, which sold for $16 million in 2006. The colt’s pedigree is elite, sired by 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline and out of a mare by the prominent stallion Into Mischief.
Before the sale, the horse—then identified as Hip 1056—demonstrated his potential by running a furlong in nine-and-three-fifths seconds, a performance Baffert compared to scouting a top-tier NFL draft prospect. The owner, US-based Saudi businessman Amr Zedan, has been aggressively building his stable since entering the sport a decade ago. His previous experience includes a victory in the Dubai World Cup with California Chrome and a controversial 2021 Kentucky Derby win with Medina Spirit, which was later vacated following a positive test for a prohibited substance.
Amr Zedan, who named the horse after his father, remains undeterred by past setbacks, including a three-year suspension of Baffert that prevented him from entering the horse Muth in the 2024 Derby. “I wouldn’t say I’m hungry for a Derby winner; I’m starving,” he stated. The owner relied on Baffert and bloodstock agent Donnato Lanni to manage the acquisition, ultimately outbidding a consortium of Jockey Club owners and the Kentucky-based farm Lane’s End.
Addressing the massive investment, the owner acknowledged that some might view the price as excessive. “Some people think I’m crazy,” he said. “But again, I have surrounded myself with pros. That mitigates the risk. And the horse doesn’t know how much he costs, right?” Baffert is currently overseeing the colt’s fitness and development, with the ultimate goal of reaching the track.
The industry remains cautious about such high-priced prospects, mindful of the history of The Green Monkey. That record-setting horse made his debut in September 2007, finishing third as a 2-5 favorite, and struggled in subsequent races. He was later retired to stud, failed to produce significant results, and was euthanized in 2018 following a battle with laminitis.
Despite the inherent volatility of the thoroughbred market, Amr Zedan maintains a measured outlook. “I want him to be healthy, unjinxed and get him to the races,” he said. “I hope he’ll be good for us, good for the industry and a good stallion one day. Only time will tell, though, right?” The report also notes that created by his wife Jill as she remodels his on-track digs, the back wall of Bob Baffert’ s office at Churchill Downs is entirely covered by a custom-made print. The report also notes that in it, American Pharoah and Justify are neck-and-neck, as if crossing a finish line in a match race for the ages. The report also notes that breaking a then 37-year-old hex that created a near cathartic roar at Belmont Park, pharoah won the Triple Crown in 2015. The report also notes that baffert trained them both and is one of only two trainers to lead two horses to the elusive Triple Crown. The report also notes that confirming what the trainer saw the first time he spied him – that he was a true athlete with all the physical tools to do something magical, the horse had just galloped for him at Santa Anita. The report also notes that conveying a message that Baffert immediately interpreted, the horse practically stared the trainer in the eye.
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