Bob Baffert got career win number 3,000 with the aptly-named Thousand Words in Saturday's $100,000 Robert B. Lewis S. (G3) at Santa Anita Park.

The win came in a race named after one of the trainer's favorite clients, who he teamed up with to get his first Kentucky Derby (G1) win in 1997 with Silver Charm.

“I've always thought things happen for a reason,” Baffert said on TVG after the milestone victory. “Running in the Bob Lewis, with a horse named Thousand Words and going for 3,000 wins. I mean you can't make that up. I had a feeling it was going to happen in this race. I've had a lot of good people work for me through the years, the first 50 wins were probably the hardest, 100 were life changers. I feel very blessed and fortunate that I've been able to last this in this business and do so well in this business after coming from the Quarter Horse business. I've never dreamt of coming into Thoroughbreds, there was never one instant I was thinking about it. I came over with Mike Pegram and Hal Earnhardt who I still have after all these years, they are a big part of the team.”

Though the major Triple Crown preps don’t begin until March, Thousand Words has positioned himself as a serious contender with Saturday’s win and his victory in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) late last year. The Lewis win didn’t come easy. Thousand Words was boxed in behind the leaders most of the way until he found and opening in upper stretch, when he split horses then outran Royal Act to finish the 1 1/16-miles in 1:43.64.  

Thousand Words, owned by Albaugh Family Stable and Spendthrift Farm, picked up another 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby (G1) challenge, and now has a total of 20. The colt is undefeated in three starts and has earned $211,000.