Baeza makes short work of his competition to break his maiden (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
McKinzie Colt Is Half to Dornoch, Mage
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif. — It’s likely on to the Kentucky Derby trail for Baeza after the high-priced auction buy rolled to a 4 ¾-length victory in a $61,000 maiden race for 3-year-olds going a mile Friday at Santa Anita.
Sent off the 2-1 second choice under Hector Berrios, Baeza eagerly tracked longshot pacesetter Flyin Private (68-1) in second, took the lead midway around the second turn and drew off in the stretch to graduate in his third start. Mellencamp (3-1), ridden by Flavien Prat for trainer Bob Baffert, was second with another 1 ¼ lengths back to Westwood (39-1) in third.
Both Baeza and Westwood are trained by John Shirreffs and owned by C R K Stable. Baeza is a McKinzie colt who commanded $1.2 million at auction as a yearling. He won in a final time of 1:37.84 following fractions of 22.94, 46.93, 1:12.48 and 1:25.27.
“It seemed like he was a little more aggressive today,” Shirreffs said of the winner. “We’re excited about the effort.”
Berrios was riding Baeza for the second time. Last time out on Jan. 4 at Santa Anita, Baeza and Berrios finished second behind the highly regarded Rodriguez.
“His stride, it’s nice,” Berrios said. “He’s a still a little green, just a baby, but he’s getting better with racing.”
Shirreffs said a stakes opportunity will likely be next for Baeza. The stakes series for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita includes the GII San Felipe on March 1 and the GI Santa Anita Derby on April 5. Both races offer qualifying points for the 151st Kentucky Derby May 3 at Churchill Downs.
“We hope so,” Shirreffs said of joining the Derby trail. “It’s that time of year where you try those things. We’ll see how he comes out. I’ll talk with (owner Lee Searing) and we’ll make a decision.”
Varney, the 8-5 favorite for trainer Bob Baffert, was pulled up and eased on the first turn after having to check while racing on the inside. All appeared to be well with the Vekoma colt as he walked off the track after being examined by the on-site veterinarian.
Baeza paid $6.40, $3.60 and $2.60. Baffert-trained Mellencamp, ridden by Flavien Prat, returned $4.40 and $3.40. Westwood, ridden by Tiago Pereira, paid $8.40.
Live racing resumes Saturday at Santa Anita with a 10-race card starting at 12:30 p.m. PT.
