Baeza Can Play Role of Belmont Stakes Party Crasher

It could be fairly a mistake to sleep on Baeza within the Belmont Stakes July 7 at Saratoga Race Course.
Sovereignty, who gained the Kentucky Derby introduced by Woodford Reserve and skipped the Preakness Stakes, and Journalism, who was second within the run for the roses and gained the Preakness in spectacular vogue, are deservedly the discuss of the game for the time being. But it will not be a lot of a shock if Baeza takes the Belmont Stakes and extends the present streak of 21 straight Triple Crown races with a special winner.

A son of McKinzie out of the good mare Puca owned by C R Ok Steady and breeder Grandview Equine, Baeza was only a neck behind Journalism within the Kentucky Derby when ending a fast-closing third and was second by rather less than a size to him within the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.
“I used to be form of questioning about all the eye specializing in Sovereignty and Journalism,” coach John Shirreffs mentioned. “They’re forgetting about Baeza. Within the Santa Anita Derby, he did not have the most effective of journeys both. And clearly within the Kentucky Derby, he by no means obtained to the skin when he wanted to.
“I do not know if there’s something I’d wish to change about him,” added Shirreffs, who skilled Corridor of Famer Zenyatta. “He’s the full bundle.”
Although Baeza has only a maiden win from his 5 profession begins, Shirreffs believes inserting twice in two of the best-known stakes for 3-year-olds speaks volumes concerning the colt’s high quality heading into the 1 1/4-mile closing jewel within the Triple Crown.
“I do not wish to take something away from Sovereignty and Journalism, however we’re near them, and with a bit of luck in any respect Baeza can win the Belmont,” he mentioned.
To date, Shirreffs has been nothing however happy with Baeza’s coaching for the reason that Kentucky Derby.

“He got here out of the Derby very effectively,” he mentioned. “We introduced him again to California. He is had two breezes right here and he is dealing with his workload rather well. He is consuming effectively and we’re wanting to run him within the Belmont.”
Baeza arrived at Saratoga the night of Could 29.
“He appears fairly brilliant coming off the van,” Shirreffs mentioned, including that following a Could 30 stroll day, Baeza would return to common coaching and likewise go to the paddock to get higher acquainted with the Spa.
“We’ll give him an opportunity to see every little thing, get a sense for the place he’s and discover his solution to the observe to develop just a little safety for him to know the place he’s at,” Shirreffs mentioned.
“I’ve watched Journalism all winter and we raced in opposition to him within the Santa Anita Derby – he is a really good horse. I hadn’t seen Sovereignty till I noticed him within the paddock (at Churchill Downs), and he was a really spectacular bodily presence there. So, I feel that is three very nice horses.”
A giant plus on Baeza’s aspect is that he definitely has the breeding to win a Triple Crown race.

His dam, Puca, is believed to be the one mare who has ever produced three straight foals who have been capable of place in a Triple Crown race.
Her second foal was Mage, who gained the 2023 Kentucky Derby, then there was Dornoch, who captured final yr’s Belmont Stakes. Now comes Baeza, who was third on the primary Saturday in Could.
“It is superb what his dam has finished,” Shirreffs mentioned.
All advised, Puca has produced three straight Kentucky Derby starters, a feat believed to be unmatched within the lengthy historical past of the game.
“She’s a really particular mare,” mentioned Robert Clay, CEO of Grandview Equine.
Puca raced for Donegal Racing was Grade 2 positioned in 2015.
“We predict we have now a giant shot within the Belmont, or we would not be making an attempt. He completed higher than Sovereignty and Journalism within the closing sixteenth of a mile within the Derby,” Clay mentioned. “If we get a very good journey, we predict we’re in there with a very good probability.”
Within the Kentucky Derby, Baeza broke from the skin put up and was fifteenth after the opening half mile within the discipline of 19. He was bumped and steadied on the five-sixteenths pole, then rallied 5 huge on the ultimate flip and angled out to the 9 path within the stretch when he lastly closed with gusto.

Seventh on the quarter pole beneath Flavien Prat, he was solely fourth on the eighth pole, about 4 1/4 lengths behind the dueling Sovereignty and Journalism. In that closing furlong, he closed strongly on the sloppy observe to complete a neck behind Journalism and one other 1 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Sovereignty.
Prat rode Baeza for the primary time within the run for the roses and he’s anxious for an additional crack on the high two within the Belmont Stakes.
“I’m very excited to experience him once more. He had the skin put up, however I used to be impressed along with his run,” Prat mentioned. “He got here into the Derby with much less expertise than a lot of the others and ran an incredible race. I really feel with every race he will get higher, and we have not seen his full potential.”
Ought to it prove that his potential is lastly realized within the Belmont Stakes, then you may also scrap the Dynamic Duo discuss and deal with speaking a couple of Terrific Trio.

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