Since Bob Baffert made the shift from Quarter Horse racing to Thoroughbred racing in the early eighties, no one has been more loyal to Southern California racing. Especially when it came to stakes races, he filled the entry box like no other trainer. Consistency and quality were his trademarks. He has his critics and some have bristled at his dominance, but California racing has been lucky to have him.But with things being what they are in California, even Baffert had to make what must have been a tough decision and follow the money.Santa Anita, Del Mar and Los Alamitos are the last major tracks in the country that receive no revenue from gaming, which means their purses have fallen far behind those at other major tracks, particularly the Kentucky tracks. A maiden special weight race at Santa Anita goes for $65,000. The purse for the same race at Churchill Downs is $120,000. It's the same with stakes races. Santa Anita ran two graded stakes Saturday and both had purses of $100,000. Churchill ran two stakes races, neither of which were graded. Their purses were $225,000 and $175,000. Churchill has so much money at its disposal that it has raised the purse of the June 27 GI Stephen Foster Stakes to $2 million.So who could blame Baffert when he announced that he was setting up a permanent stable at Churchill? He has 34 stalls there. He also said he would be based at Oaklawn, which also has astronomical purses, when it opens later this year.Baffert has not abandoned California. He won Saturday's GIII Summertime Oaks with the exciting filly Mizumi (Justify). But he has cut his numbers dramatically, which has been just one more hit for the struggling circuit.Mizumi | BenoitThrough Saturday, he had made just 17 starts during the current meet, which ended Sunday, and had won just three races. At the same meet in 2025, he made 85 starts and won 25 races. He's been more active at Churchill, where, through Saturday, he had made 27 starts with six winners. Baffert's overall numbers will likely increase once he starts to unveil his armada of 2-year-olds.Baffert isn't alone. Phil D'Amato has made 17 starts at Churchill and Peter Eurton has made 22 starts there. Doug O'Neill has stalls at Keeneland and Peter Miller also had a string in Kentucky. All have been major players in California for years.There's not much more that can be said about the struggles of California racing and Santa Anita in particular. The circuit needs help and there doesn't appear to be any on the way. When someone like Baffert has one foot out the door, you know things are bleak.Will Walden Strikes AgainThere may not be a hotter trainer in the country than Will Walden. He picked up still another stakes win Saturday when 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' La Rascasse (Authentic) won the Monomoy Girl Overnight Stakes at Churchill. Considering that she was able to win a stakes in just her second career start, the $750,000 Keeneland September purchase appears to have a bright future.La Rascasse | Kurtis Coady/Coady MediaIt was Walden's fifth stakes win this year, which includes a win in the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes with Rhetorical (Not This Time). Walden is 36-for-119 on the year, good for a winning rate of 30 percent, easily the highest of his career. Training only since 2022, he has quickly established himself as one of the top trainers in the sport. With $3,353,367 in earnings on the year, he ranks 20th among all trainers.He continues to write one of the best feel-good stories in racing. His training career was delayed due to substance abuse problems, which are now part of his past thanks to his work with the Stable Recovery program. He has become the poster child for what that program can accomplish.So Far So Good For the FlightlinesIt's exciting to see the progeny of superstar Flightline begin to hit the racetrack. Clearly the star so far is Demian. A $1.7-million Keeneland purchase, he won on debut Saturday at Tokyo Race Course. Two other Flightlines ran in the U.S., and while neither won, both showed promise. The colt Greenwell was second Friday at Churchill Downs, losing by two lengths for trainer Mark Casse. The next day the Flightline filly House Boat Party was third in another maiden at Churchill for trainer Brian Lynch. The connections of both horses said beforehand that they thought their horses would only improve with more distance.Then there's Zedan. Purchased for $10.5 million by Amr Zedan at OBS April, the Baffert-trained colt has yet to have his first workout, but his debut will be one of the most anticipated races of the year.Paco Lopez | Sarah AndrewPaco Being PacoPaco Lopez won six races at Monmouth Saturday. Through Saturday, he's winning at a 42 percent rate at Monmouth, where his 30 winners were 19 more than runners-up Sonny Leon and Luis Rivera, Jr. At Delaware Park, he is winning at a 44 percent rate and his 27 winners are 16 better than Julio Hernandez, who is second in the standings. Then there's Parx, where he has 22 winners.No one works harder. On Friday, he won two races at Laurel, then headed to Penn National, where he had one winner from three mounts. He has not taken a day off since May 22.This week he will ride at Monmouth, Parx, Delaware, Laurel and Penn National.The post Week in Review: Baffert Spreads His Wings appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.