Bayern (foaled May 3, 2011) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2014, he won the Grade I 2014 Breeders' Cup Classic, following wins in the Haskell Invitational and the Pennsylvania Derby. He is owned by Kaleem Shah, who purchased him as a two-year-old, based upon the advice of his teenaged son. He was named after Shah's favorite soccer team, FC Bayern Munich. The horse was trained by Bob Baffert, and was retired in 2015.
Bayern is a bay ridgling[2] bred in Kentucky by Helen Alexander. His sire, Offlee Wild was a successful racehorse whose wins included the Massachusetts Handicap in 2004 (beating Funny Cide) and the Suburban Handicap in 2005. Before Bayern, the best of his progeny was Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner She Be Wild. As of 2014, Offlee Wild stands at the Pin Oak Lane Farm in Pennsylvania.[3] Bayern's dam Alittlebitearly was, as her name suggests, born prematurely on December 14, 2002,[4] which made her almost useless for racing purposes. The age of a Thoroughbred racehorse born in the Northern Hemisphere advances by one year on January 1,[5] meaning that Alittlebitearly officially became a yearling when less than a month old and, if raced, would have had to compete on level terms with horses who could be up to 11 months older.[6]
His owner Kaleem Shah obtained the horse as a two-year-old at a training sale when his teenaged son, Arman, was impressed with the colt.[7] Bayern was originally named "Tahrir Square" when he was sold to Shah,[8] but was renamed after the association football (soccer) team FC Bayern Munich, the favorite team of his owner. His name is pronounced by track announcers and the US press as "BY-earn."[9](German pronunciation: [ˈbaɪ.ɐn])
Bayern was unraced as a two-year-old[1] and made his racecourse debut in a maiden race over seven furlongs at Santa Anita Park on January 4, 2014. Ridden by Gary Stevens, he took the lead on the turn into the stretch and drew away to win by 3+1⁄4 lengths from Rprettyboyfloyd [sic]. He reappeared over one mile at the same track in February and started the 3-5 favorite against four opponents. He took the lead soon after the start and steadily increased his advantage to win by 15 lengths.[10] The colt was then moved up sharply in class to contest the Grade I Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on April 12. He took the lead from the start before being overtaken in the straight and finishing third behind Danza and Ride On Curlin. Rosie Napravnik was his jockey when Bayern contested the Derby Trial Stakes at Churchill Downs two weeks later. He led from the start and prevailed by a nose over Embellishing Bob but was demoted to second for causing interference to the runner-up.[11] On May 17, the colt was moved up to the highest level for the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. Starting with Napravnik up at odds of 12.9-1, he finished tenth of the eleven runners behind the Kentucky Derby winner, California Chrome.[12]