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Owners name $900k Bob Baffert horse after Fernando Mendoza

IMG_6598by: Nick Kosko23 hours agonickkosko59

Fernando Mendoza winning the Heisman Trophy had an impact on horse racing and we’re not kidding! Tom Ryan, a managing partner of SF Racing with Team (Bob) Baffert, announced their new colt would be named “Mendoza.”

“Fernando Mendoza is a star in the world’s most American sport,” Ryan wrote on Twitter. “An incredibly talented young man who can inspire millions of young NFL fans. I had been searching for a name for our Gun Runner colt out of champion SONGBIRD. When I watched Mendoza’s post-Heisman interview, it felt like a perfect fit. Here’s to a great 2026 for the man and the horse. #Mendoza.”

Fernando Mendoza led the country in touchdown passes this season with 33. In 13 games, leading Indiana to a Big Ten title and No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, he also threw for 2,980 yards, just six picks and a 71.5% completion percentage.

For reference, Gun Runner is the father of the new horse named after the Hoosiers’ QB. He raced in the 2016 Kentucky Derby, finishing in 3rd place and also won the Breeders Cup Classic in 2017.

“Mendoza” will be eligible for the 2027 Triple Crown, since these thoroughbreds race as three-year-olds. The horse is currently one right now, so he’ll have time to gear up and train for those elite races.

Fernando Mendoza doesn’t have too much time to prepare now. He’s down to two weeks before Indiana takes on Oklahoma or Alabama in the CFP quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl. But extra time is extra time!

“I think it’s great because our team has worked so hard throughout the season,” Mendoza said. “We’re 13-0, and I believe that we’ve earned these couple bye weeks here. Not only selfishly, I’m going to say it’s great for myself because we want to let this bad boy sink in and my teammates who also went to New York, let all of us recover a little bit.

“So we don’t have a game this upcoming Saturday. However, I think it’s a great honor to have a bye week, and we still have great momentum going into the College Football Playoff, and I think it’s going to be a great opportunity to rest our bodies and stay sharp on our fundamentals.”