Sleeping at Baeza at the Belmont Stakes on July 7th on the Saratoga race course is quite a mistake.
The sovereignty that was announced by Woodford Reserve and won the Kentucky Derby, which skipped the Preakness Stakes, and journalism that came second in Rose running and won Preakness in an epic way is a sporting story at this point. But it’s not too surprising if Baeza stakes Belmont’s stake and extends his current streak of 21 straight triple crown races with another winner.
Baeza, son of McKinzie, who came out of the gorgeous Mare Puca owned by CRK Stable and Breeder Grandview Equine, was less than his second length in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby when he finished a third just near the neck of Kentucky Derby journalism.
“I was kind of curious about all the attention that focused on sovereignty and journalism,” said trainer John Silef. “They forget about Baeza. He wasn’t even making the best trip in the Santa Anita Derby.
“I don’t know if there’s anything I want to change about him,” added Shirev, who trained Hall of Fame Zenyatta. “He’s a total package.”
Baeza has won the maiden victory from five career starts, but Shirreffs talks about the quality of the Colt heading towards the final gem in the quarter mile of the triple crown, when placed twice in two of the two stakes, the 3-year-old’s most famous.
“I don’t want to take anything from sovereignty and journalism, but we’re close to them. With all the luck, Baeza can beat Belmont,” he said.
So far, Shirreffs are pleased with Baeza’s first training since the Kentucky Derby.
“He came out of the Derby very often,” he said. “We brought him back to California. He has two breezes here and he handles his workload really well. He eats well and wants to run him in Belmont.”
Baeza arrived in Saratoga on the evening of May 29th.
“He looks pretty bright from the van,” Shirev said. Following the walk on May 30th, Baeza returned to regular training and visited Padoc to get to know the Spa.
“We give him the opportunity to see everything, feel where he is and find a way to develop a little security to know where he is,” Shirev said.
“I watched journalism all winter and competed with him in the Santa Anita Derby. He’s a really nice horse. I never saw sovereignty before seeing him in Paddock (at Churchill Downs).
A big plus on Baeza’s side is that he certainly has the breeding to win the triple crown race.
His dam, Puka, is considered to be the only filly who produced three straight falls that could take part in the triple crown race.
Her second colt was a magician, with Dornoch, who won the Belmont Stakes last year after winning the 2023 Kentucky Derby. Baeza, who came in third on the first Saturday of May.
“What his dam did is amazing,” Shirev said.
Puca produced three straight Kentucky Derby starters. This is a feat that appears to be unparalleled in the long history of sports.
“She’s a very special filly,” said Robert Clay, CEO of Grandview Equine.
Puca Raced for Donegal Racing was a sophomore in 2015.
“We think Belmont has a big shot or we’re not trying. He finished better than sovereignty and journalism in the final 16th of the Derby,” Clay said. “If we’re going to have a good trip, I think we’ll be there with a good chance.”
In the Kentucky Derby, Baeza broke from an outside post and was 15th after a half-mile opening half-mile on the 19th field.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqrdjmmh1aa
He was seventh in the quarter pole under Flavieen Prat, and he was only fourth in the eighth pole with about 4 1/4 length of duel sovereignty and journalism. On that last furlong he finished the neck behind journalism and closed it tightly with a sloppy track to close the length of 1 1/2 behind his victorious sovereignty.
Pratt is riding Baeza for the first time in a Rose run and is worried about another crack in the top two of the Belmont Stakes.
“I’m very excited to ride him again. He had an external post and was impressed with his run,” Pratt said. “He came to the Derby with less experience than most others and ran great races, and I feel he gets better in each race.
If it turns out that his potential has finally been realized in the Belmont stakes, you can also discard the dynamic duo talk and focus on talking about the fantastic trio.
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