Famed trainer Bob Baffert was emotional after his horse Authentic won the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, but it was for reasons beyond just the win.
The trainer said that his assistant, Jimmy Barnes, suffered a broken hand in a paddock incident while handling Thousand Words.
Thousand Words was a vet scratch before the race after rearing in the paddock (video here). Barnes was sent to the ground during the incident and came up grabbing his right hand.
Thousand Words just reared badly in the paddock, late in this video. pic.twitter.com/FFpHrWiCTL
— Derby News (@KentuckyDerbyCJ) September 5, 2020
Baffert was joyed to have his sixth Kentucky Derby win, but he felt sad for Barnes.
“He should be here. He’s in an ambulance,” Baffert said in an interview with NBC’s Kenny Rice after the race.
Baffert acknowledged this was his most emotional win.
“It is because what happened. A thousand things go wrong and there’s always something. I just wish Jimmy was here with me,” Baffert said.
Pure emotion! Bob Baffert reacts to winning a record-equaling sixth @KentuckyDerby with Authentic after the unfortunate scratching of Thousand Words… #KyDerby pic.twitter.com/mrvypZ05Ow
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) September 5, 2020
