Baeza Completes Final Work at Saratoga Before Belmont Stakes
NYRA officials confirmed Monday that C R K Stable and Grandview Equine’s Baeza completed his final workout at Saratoga’s Oklahoma track in preparation for Saturday’s GI Belmont Stakes.
The John Shirreffs trainee worked with jockey Flavien Prat aboard, recording splits of :24.89 and :48.93 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:16.41, according to official clockers.
“I thought the work was very good, especially the way he moved over the racetrack,” Shirreffs said Monday. “He is light on his feet. Everything he does is effortless.”
The son of McKinzie brings impressive bloodlines into the third leg of the Triple Crown. He’s a half-brother to Classic winners Mage and Dornoch, both sired by Good Magic.
Baeza broke his maiden in his third career start, winning a one-mile contest at Santa Anita on February 14. His Triple Crown campaign has shown consistent improvement, finishing second behind Journalism (Curlin) in the GI Santa Anita Derby on April 5 before running third in the GI Kentucky Derby on May 5 behind winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief) and runner-up Journalism.
The colt, bred by Grandview Equine out of the Big Brown mare Puca, commanded $1.2 million at the 2023 Keeneland September sale.
Journalism went on to capture the GI Preakness Stakes, setting up Saturday’s Belmont as a potential rubber match between several of the spring’s top three-year-olds.
