SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – For now, it looks like Baeza (McKinzie) is going to stay put in California.
Trainer John Shirreffs said Wednesday that a cross-country trip to Saratoga and another shot at Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in the $1.25 million GI DraftKings Travers Stakes is unlikely.
“I would say there is not a really good chance of doing that,” Shirreffs said by phone from his summer base at Del Mar.
Shirreffs said the reason for skipping the Aug. 23 Midsummer Derby has everything to do with getting to Saratoga. Baeza has already shipped twice to the Spa; he was here for the GI Belmont Stakes and finished third, 6 1/2 lengths behind Sovereignty. He returned home after that.
Then he returned for the July 26 GII Jim Dandy Stakes and was beaten a length by Sovereignty
“It's just such a tough ship from Del Mar to over there,” Shirreffs said.
To get here, Baeza, owned by Robert Clay's Grandview Stable and Lee Searing's C R K Stable, would have to van to either Los Angeles or Ontario [two-hours] and then fly to Newark, N.J. and take another van 190 miles to Saratoga.
Baeza at Saratoga | Sarah Andrew
Baeza also flew from Los Angeles to Louisville when he ran in the GI Kentucky Derby.
That's three cross-country ships in as many months.
Shirreffs said when Baeza shipped to the Derby and the Belmont, it affected the horse, and took him a couple days to get over it. When he came out of the Jim Dandy, Baeza handled it much better.
Shirreffs said the plans for Baeza's next race have not yet been finalized. The two most appealing options are to stay home for the $1 million GI Pacific Classic Aug. 30 against older horses or the $1 million GI Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Sept. 20 against 3-year-olds.
“We have discussed the Pacific Classic and Pennsylvania Derby,” Shirreffs said, acknowledging that the Travers would be third on the depth chart. “We have not made up our minds yet. We would have a little more time to the other races and time is valuable in these situations.”
Baeza, a $1.2 million purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, has one win, three seconds and two thirds in his seven-race career.
Baeza is scheduled to work at Del Mar on Thursday, according to Shirreffs.
McPeek Been Thinking Turf For Mystik Dan For A Long Time
On August 1, trainer Kenny McPeek put 2024 GI Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan (Goldencents) on the grass for the first time. This was not done on a lark; McPeek had been thinking about doing it for at least a year.
Here's the proof as to how serious McPeek is about Mystik Dan being a thoroughbred lawn mower: he is running him in Saturday's GI Arlington Million at Colonial Downs. All of Mystik Dan's prior 14 starts have been on dirt.
“It was kind of an audible at the line of scrimmage,” McPeek said Wednesday morning at his barn at the annex across from the Oklahoma Training Track. “He was doing really well and the [Million] seems to be modest in depth. We decided to put him in.”
Mystik Dan working over the Spa turf | Sarha Andrew
A field of eight has been entered for the Million and Mystik Dan, who will be ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., drew the rail and is the 9-2 fourth choice in the 1 1/4-mile race. Integration (Quality Road) is the 8-5 morning line favorite for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.
McPeek worked Mystik Dan on the grass for the first time last week and he responded with a five-furlong work in 1:02.17 (5/10).
“He does everything easy, he is Mr. Workmanlike,” McPeek said. “If he were a student, he would be in the middle of the classroom, he would be getting straight As, he would never make a sound, and you would not even know he is there. He just goes about his business very quietly, professionally. That is him. There is nothing loud about him. Very smart.”
McPeek said he did not ever think about running him in the GI Whitney Stakes last week. Mystik Dan was eighth in last year's GI Belmont Stakes, which was run at Saratoga. When Hernandez jumped off him that day, he told McPeek that Mystik Dan didn't like the surface.
“Why run in the Whitney on a racetrack I don't know if he is going to like?” McPeek said. “We know where he fits against the older horses. He is within a few lengths, one side or the other, against the Sierra Leones, Fiercenesss of the world. If the Derby winner wins the Arlington Million, I think it adds to the dynamic of him as a stallion prospect.”
Owned by Lance Gasaway, 4 G Racing LLC, Daniel Hamby III and Valley View Farm LLC, Mystik Dan is scheduled to leave Saratoga Thursday morning.
“Good horses will run on anything,” McPeek said, and then added, with a smile, “we are going to prove it Saturday.”
Romans Making Most With Limited Starters
Louisville, Ky. is home for trainer Dale Romans. A lot of his best work has been under the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs.
So far at the Saratoga meet, he hasn't been too bad, either.
Romans brought just eight horses up for the summer–he has 55 down in Kentucky–and, after five starts, he has three wins, a second and a third.
The latest win came Sunday when Jack's Promise (Promises Fulfilled) rallied to win a claiming race at odds of 7-1 under Junior Alvarado.
Romans became the all-time leading trainer at Churchill Nov. 12, 2017 when he won his 703rd race. He held the top spot until June 13, 2020 when he was overtaken by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen when he won his 738th Churchill Race.
Dale Romans with Irad Oritz and Bobrovsky at the Spa | Sarah Andrew
Romans has won or shared 10 training titles at the historic track.
“I know how to win,” Romans said outside his barn on the Saratoga backstretch Wednesday morning.
Jack's Promise is owned by Bob Baron, who is also a close friend of Romans. The horse is named for one of Baron's grandchildren. Baron and Romans also teamed up with the sire, Promises Fulfilled (by Shackleford), who won the 2018 GI H. Allen Jerkens Stakes and GIII Amsterdam Stakes.
“It makes the losses harder, but the wins sweeter,” Romans said of training for friends.
Even though Jack's Promise's victory came in the claiming ranks, it did not go unnoticed.
At Saratoga, everyone is watching. Or so it seems.
“If you win an allowance race at other tracks, nobody knows it,” Romans said. “I got 20 text messages after winning a claiming race!”
Earlier in the meet, 2-year-old Bobrovsky (Daredevil), co-owned by Romans and Steve Berg, broke his maiden on dirt at 4-5 by 10 1/2 lengths.
Bobrovsky is scheduled to work on the grass Friday and, if all goes well, will be pointed to the $150,000 Skidmore at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf Aug. 16.
“When you don't win up here, it's a grind,” Romans said. “When you do, it promotes your business, pays the bills and just makes you feel better. Makes your golf game a lot better, too.”
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