While the racing world crosses its fingers and hopes there will be a rematch between Sovereignty and Journalism in the Belmont Stakes (G1), it would be quite a mistake to sleep on Baeza.
Sovereignty, who won the Kentucky Derby (G1) and skipped the Preakness Stakes (G1), and Journalism, who was second in the Run for the Roses and won the Preakness in spectacular fashion, are deservedly the talk of the industry at the moment. Yet it would not be much of a surprise if Baeza takes the June 7 Belmont at Saratoga Race Course and extends the streak to 21 straight Triple Crown races with a different winner.
A son of McKinzie out of the brilliant mare Puca, owned by C R K Stable and breeder Grandview Equine, Baeza was just a neck behind Journalism in the Kentucky Derby when finishing a fast-closing third and was second by a little less than a length to him in the Santa Anita Derby (G1).
"I was kind of wondering about all the attention focusing on Sovereignty and Journalism," trainer John Shirreffs said. "They are forgetting about Baeza. In the Santa Anita Derby, he didn't have the best of trips, either. And obviously in the Kentucky Derby, he never got to the outside when he needed to.
"I don't know if there's anything I would want to change about him," added Shirreffs, who trained Hall of Famer Zenyatta. "He is the total package."
Though Baeza has just a maiden win from his five career starts, Shirreffs believes placing twice in two of the best-known stakes for 3-year-olds speaks volumes about the colt's quality heading into the 1 1/4-mile final jewel in the Triple Crown.
"I don't want to take anything away from Sovereignty and Journalism, but we are close to them, and with any luck at all Baeza can win the Belmont," he said.
So far, Shirreffs has been nothing but pleased with Baeza's training since the Kentucky Derby.
"He came out of the Derby very well," he said. "We brought him back to California. He's had two breezes here and he's handling his workload really well. He's eating well and we're eager to run him in the Belmont."
Baeza arrived at Saratoga the evening of May 29.
"He looks pretty bright coming off the van," Shirreffs said, adding that following a May 30 walk day, Baeza would return to regular training and also visit the paddock to get better acquainted with the Spa.
"We'll give him a chance to see everything, get a feeling for where he is and find his way to the track to develop a little security for him to know where he is at," Shirreffs said.
"I've watched Journalism all winter and we raced against him in the Santa Anita Derby—he's a very nice horse. I hadn't seen Sovereignty until I saw him in the paddock (at Churchill Downs), and he was a very impressive physical presence there. So, I think that's three really nice horses."
A big plus on Baeza's side of the ledger book is that he certainly has the breeding to win a Triple Crown race.
His dam, Puca, is believed to be the only mare who has ever produced three straight foals who were able to place in a Triple Crown race.
Her second foal was Mage , who won the 2023 Kentucky Derby, then there was Dornoch , who captured last year's Belmont Stakes, and now comes Baeza, who was third on the first Saturday in May.
"It's amazing what his dam has done," Shirreffs said.
All told, Puca has produced three straight Kentucky Derby starters, a feat believed to be unmatched in the long history of the sport.
"She's a very special mare," said Robert Clay, CEO of Grandview Equine.
Puca raced for Donegal Racing was grade 2-placed in 2015. After her racing career, she was bought by Clay for $475,000 at Fasig-Tipton's The November Sale in 2018.
But after Mage's Kentucky Derby win, Clay sold Puca to John Stewart for $2.9 million at the 2023 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
"I don't look very smart selling her, but she had produced some good horses and we had a filly out of her. I'm a commercial breeder and you can't be embarrassed for taking a profit," Clay said.
Wanting to keep part of the bloodlines played a big role in Clay seeking to retain a share of Baeza after the colt was sold to Lee Searing's C R K Stable for $1.2 million at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
"We were sitting at the sale. It was a good price but I wanted to see if we could have a quarter share of him and they agreed," Clay said. "I'm happy we kept this guy."
Especially with the way Baeza, who needed a scratch to earn a starting spot in the Kentucky Derby, has proven to be top-3 material in the 3-year-old crop.
"We think we have a big shot in the Belmont or we wouldn't be trying. He finished better than Sovereignty and Journalism in the final sixteenth of a mile in the Derby," Clay said. "If we get a good trip, we think we are in there with a good chance."
In the Kentucky Derby, Baeza broke from the outside post and was 15th after the opening half-mile in the field of 19. He was bumped and steadied at the five-sixteenths pole, then rallied five wide on the final turn and angled out to the nine path in the stretch when he finally closed with gusto.
Seventh at the quarter pole under Flavien Prat, he was only fourth at the eighth pole, about 4 1/4 lengths behind the dueling Sovereignty and Journalism. But in that final furlong, he closed strongly on the sloppy track to finish a neck behind Journalism and another 1 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Sovereignty.
Prat rode Baeza for the first time in the Run for the Roses and he is anxious for another crack at the top two in the Belmont Stakes.
"I am very excited to ride him again. He had the outside post but I was impressed with his run," Prat said. "He came into the Derby with less experience than most of the others and ran a great race. I feel with each race he gets better and we haven't seen his full potential."
Should it turn out that his potential is finally realized in the Belmont Stakes, then you can also scrap the Dynamic Duo talk and focus on talking about a Terrific Trio.
