Baeza and Puca: a Family Odyssey
It’s been a long adventurous road, but we finally have come to the third and final act of Triple Crown 2025 with the audience left to guess the outcome, which has countless possibilities. This is the story of one of those possibilities, with a script that takes us on a whirlwind ride through the generations and ends with one of the most anticipated showdowns in years. ~ Steve Haskin
Baeza and Puca: A Family Odyssey
By Steve Haskin
There are several “matchups” in this year’s Belmont Stakes that go beyond Sovereignty vs. Journalism and Kentucky Derby winner vs. Preakness winner, and even the continuing “Battle of the Bridlewood Buddies.” OK, maybe buddies is a stretch, but you know the glamorized version by now.
But we can go even deeper than that by saying in some ways this is a clash of past vs. present. In one corner we have the past, in the form of the tough as sinews throwback Journalism and his tradition oriented connections who went into the Kentucky Derby with all three Triple Crown races in mind. In the other corner we have the present in the form of Sovereignty, whose connections elected to take the more trending conservative approach of skipping the Preakness to have a fresher horse for the Belmont and even looking far into the future to next year’s Dubai World Cup.
But there is more to this year’s Belmont. Although we have two standouts and a talented supporting cast, there is one horse that is going to get a great deal of support and given a good shot to upset the two favorites, and that of course is Baeza, whose career is on an upward spiral, his reputation growing with every race, and he looks ready to make this a three-horse battle.
There are several elements to Baeza’s story and we will explore all of them, from his mega mom Puca’s amazing produce record coming from humble beginnings to his sale as a yearling for $1.2 million to his early days being broken and trained by April Mayberry and being named after one of the greatest jockeys of all time. They all add up to one fascinating colt with untapped ability who hasn’t even come close to peaking.
To add one more element, we are all aware by now reading my columns that Sovereignty and Journalism were broken and trained by Meda Murphy at Bridlewood Farm, as alluded to earlier, and were both were grade “A” students at the top of their class. Well, at the same time, just eight miles away at Mayberry Farm, April Mayberry was breaking and training a colt later named Baeza.
So we have Meda Murphy, who has broken and trained two Horses of the Year, Cody’s Wish and Gun Runner, and was part of the team who bought Journalism, vs. April Mayberry, who has also broken and trained two Horses of the Year, Zenyatta and Flightline, and was part of the team who bought Baeza.
The Belmont obviously needs no further setup, so let’s go back to early 1991 at Bluegrass Heights Farm in Lexington. That is where the story of Puca and Baeza begins.
Iowa native Jerry Crawford, a lawyer who was just getting involved in racing and was looking to buy his own horses, received a phone call from an exercise rider telling him there was a colt on the farm who could be special and he should come look at him. But when he got there the horse he took a liking to was not the colt, but a “little fun-spirited filly” named Native Boat who began jumping playfully on him. Crawford, who admitted he knew little about the business, but loved it, wound up buying her for $7,000. Native Boat’s immediate pedigree didn’t look like much, but her dam Boat in a Moat’s two grandparents, Key to the Mint and Riva Ridge, were champions and arch rivals.
Crawford was looking for a partner and teamed up with his close friend Fred Kammeier. Previously when Crawford was looking to buy his first horse he and Kammeier claimed a filly at Ak-Sar-Ben for $5,000 named Comagesty.
After purchasing Native Boat, they sent the filly to Fonner Park in Grand Island, Nebraska, where she finished third in her career debut.
Native Boat was a decent filly, and although she ran in several claiming races early on at Ak-Sar-Ben, she wound winning nine of her 25 races, including a couple of small stakes, for earnings of just over $190,000,
As a broodmare, her second foal in 1996, by the Dogwood Stable star Summer Squall, was a filly named Rocktheboat, who Crawford and Kammerier raced after she RNA’d as a yearling for $15,000. When Rocktheboat was 2 and still unraced they sold her dam Native Boat at the Keeneland January mixed sale for $52,000. Rocktheboat would win just two of her 20 starts, most of them at Turfway Park and Prairie Meadows, for earnings of $40,093.
In 2004, Rocktheboat produced a Silver Ghost filly named Boat’s Ghost, who had a short career, with one victory and a second in only six starts for earnings of just over $25,000. But Boat’s Ghost did have credentials, finishing second in the Prairie Meadows Debutante Stakes.
In 2008, Crawford’s fortunes began to change after he formed Donegal Racing, buying yearling colts as potential Derby prospects and packaging them in groups under the name “Derby Dreams.” Then in 2009, Boat’s Ghost produced a colt named Finnegan’s Wake, who would develop into one of the best grass horses in the country. And in 2o10, Donegal finished third in the Kentucky Derby with Paddy O’Prado, who two years earlier had been part of that first group of Derby Dreams yearlings.
But here is where the story gets really interesting. In 2011, Crawford and New York-based owner/breeder Paul Pompa signed a foal sharing agreement. Crawford would supply the mare, Boat’s Ghost, and Pompa would supply the stallion, Big Brown, who he had bought as a yearling for $190,000 and sold majority interest to IEAH Stables. Big Brown would make history by winning the Florida Derby, Kentucky Derby and Preakness in only his third, fourth, and fifth career starts.
So Boat’s Ghost was bred to Big Brown and the resulting foal, born May 17, 2012, was a filly Crawford named Puca, a name derived from Irish folklore.
Crawford and Pompa were looking for colts, so they consigned Puca to the 2013 Keeneland September yearling, Here is where we are introduced to Oracle Bloodstock’s Conor Foley, formerly of Godolphin Racing, who was now Crawford’s bloodstock advisor and racing manager and handled the physical analysis of all the horses at the sale. Foley had fallen in love with Puca and convinced Crawford to buy her back. Crawford did have a soft spot for this particular filly, as she was part of the family he bred, going back three generations to his purchase of Native Boat.
“I told Jerry, ‘We have to buy this horse,’” Foley recalled. “If you get any flak from the partners have them see me.’”
Crawford agreed and it was off to the sale. He and Foley were seated off to the side and could see all the bidding As it turned out there was only one other person bidding on her. That other person, sitting by himself in the middle section, was Paul Pompa, who obviously was also having second thoughts about selling her. They went at each other for several bids, now adversaries instead of partners, but Crawford had Foley pushing him to keep going until they finally got her for $90,000. Crawford and Foley had their filly back, never imagining what a rare treasure she would become.
What was ironic was that in 2015 , Puca’s half-brother Finnegan’s Wake won his first Grade 1 stakes, the Woodford Turf Classic, at the age of 6. Foley said if he had won that first Grade 1 two years earlier they never could have afforded her, as she would have gone much higher than $90,000.
Puca would have her moments as a racehorse. After racing poorly in her career debut at 5 ½ furlongs, trainer Bill Mott tried her on grass going 1 1/16 miles and she finished a strong third, beaten 1 ½ lengths by a filly Chad Brown had been very high on named Lady Eli. Back on dirt at Belmont, she broke her maiden by 16 lengths, which prompted Mott to run her in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Although she finished sixth, she was beaten only 3 ½ lengths.
The rest of her career was spotty, with a second place finish in the Gazelle at 3 and then scoring her only stakes victory in the Steve Pini Memorial on grass at Suffolk Downs as a 5-year-old. After a sixth-place finish in the Athenia Handicap at 33-1, the race after her lone stakes victory, she was retired in 2017 to Hidden Brook Farm.
Later that year, Donegal, which sells everything in each class when they are finished racing, sold Puca, also for tax reasons, at the Keeneland November mixed sale for $275,000.
The following year, Puca, now in foal to Gun Runner, was back in the sales ring, and this time she was sold to Grandview Equine, run by former Three Chimneys Farm founder Robert Clay, for $475,000.
Puca gave birth to her Gun Runner filly on April 4, 2019. Named Gunning, she won three of nine starts, placed in two stakes, and earned almost $280,000.
Then the following year, with the birth of her first of three consecutive colts, came a foaling phenomena never before seen. It started with her Good Magic foal named Mage, who won the 2023 Kentucky Derby, followed by Mage’s full-brother Dornoch, who won the 2024 Belmont Stakes and Haskell Invitational, and here we are in 2025 talking about her May foal, a bay colt by Mckinzie named Baeza. After breaking his maiden on Valentine’s Day at Santa Anita, Baeza finished second in the Santa Anita Derby, then a fast-closing third in the Kentucky Derby, in which he narrowly missed catching Journalism for second, and now is given a big shot to upset Sovereignty and Journalism in the Belmont Stakes. Three consecutive colts, all of whom made it to the Kentucky Derby for three different trainers and three different owners, now with a chance of all three being classic winners.
In 2023, with Mage having won the Derby that year, Puca, in foal to Good Magic again, was sold at Keeneland November to John Stewart for $2.9 million. In another odd twist to the story, in January of 2023, less than four months before Mage won the Derby, Puca’s dam Boat’s Ghost sold at Keeneland for $17,000. And to add to the absurdities, Boat’s Ghost’s dam Rocktheboat sold at a public auction in 2012 for a mere $500.
And finally that brings us to Baeza, as he attempts to complete arguably the most amazing breeding trifecta ever for his dam.
Puca’s magic was again on display when her Mckinzie yearling, soon to be named Baeza, entered the ring at the 2023 Keeneland September sale. There obviously was a great deal of interest in the colt with the success of Mage. One of those interested was Lee Searing, who owns CRK Stable with his wife Susan. Searing bought his first horse at age 18 when he put up $1,000 and went half on a colt at Agua Caliente in Tijuana with his father. He made his first major impact when Honor A.P., who he purchased as a yearling for $850,000, won the 2020 Santa Anita Derby and finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby for trainer John Shirreffs.
Searing wasn’t able to attend that Keeneland sale due to business and was represented by Shirreffs, his wife Dottie, and April Mayberry, who owns Mayberry Farm in Ocala with her mother Jeanne and sister Summer. They were the team evaluating the yearlings at that sale and ranking them.
“We appraised the colt for Lee in our meeting to give him parameters and a baseline of our thoughts, but the final decisions are always his,” Dottie said.
When Baeza came into the ring, Dottie, sitting alone in a corner of the pavilion where she could watch who was doing the bidding, was on the phone with Searing. Midway through the bidding she jumped in making their first bid. As the bidding began to get stronger, Dottie kept asking Searing, ‘Hit it again?’ And he kept saying ‘OK.’ After she upped the bid to $1.2 million there was a brief silence and finally the hammer fell.
The scene now shifts to Mayberry Farm, and it didn’t take April long to fall in love with the colt. “When I got him I had to keep reminding myself he was a May 13 foal,” she said. “He did whatever I wanted. It was, ‘OK, just let me know what you want me to do next,’ I like May foals because by March and April they have to fight their way through the pecking order and they mature mentally. I had to back off a little because I was afraid he was ready to breeze too early. He was always ready to take the next step, like a student who wants to learn.
“He did everything so easily and was so smart that when he left I could have told John this is a Derby horse if everything goes his way. and that everyone on the farm feels he could be the one. But John is not the type who likes to scream from the rooftop because they change so much. I just told him, ‘When you get him you’re going to love him; he’s the real deal. He’s super classy, he has no quirks, and you never have to worry about him’”
Conor Foley said of all of Puca’s foals Baeza looks the most like her. And remember they both are mid-May foals, which makes what he has accomplished already all the more impressive to Mayberry. And he did all that despite racing greenly in both of his stakes races.
“It’s unbelievable what he’s done,” Mayberry said. “He’s still such a baby; he’s still figuring it all out. When Journalism caught him in the Santa Anita Derby, he dug in again.”
And who knows what would have happened in the Kentucky Derby if he hadn’t drifted out in the stretch while making his big rally from far back and losing a good deal of momentum.
April said when she arrived at the airport to fly to Kentucky two days before the Derby she still had no idea if Baeza was going to get in the race. Her nephew had never been to the Derby and Lee Searing had insisted they all come; he had . aleady gotten them rooms. While at the airport in Florida, April’s sister saw the news on TV and said excitedly, “You’re getting in the Derby!” April had just been through this in 2022 with Rich Strike, who she also broke and trained on the farm.
The one sad part of the story is that the person the colt was named after, the great jockey Braulio Baeza, really can’t appreciate the honor and truly enjoy what his namesake has accomplished so far. He had started battling dementia when in 2021 he fell and suffered a concussion and bleeding on the brain.
“He had complete amnesia and couldn’t remember his name or who I was,” said his wife Janice, who Braulio married in 2007. “He’s also had two stents put in due to a blocked artery. But he’s still proud; he’s still Braulio even at 85. All in all he’s doing well. He’s on a special diet and takes a cutting edge drug that stimulates the brain.”
Janice said she had no idea there was a horse named after him. She said she read it in an article someone sent her earlier this year saying there was a horse named Baeza who might make the Derby.
“It’s an honor to have a big horse named after him. I’m sure Braulio would say so as well if he could articulate it himself. And to have that horse run in the Derby is pretty miraculous.”
What makes horse racing so special and touches our inner core is the perpetuation of events, characters, coincidences, and what ifs over long periods of time that leads to either a memorable conclusion or another emotional step in a seemingly endless journey.
This has been a journey that began at a small track in Nebraska and continued through an eclectic cast of characters including a Hall of Fame jockey, amazing feats on the racetrack and especially the breeding shed, and auction prices ranging from $500 to $2.9 million. Strung together over the decades they have led us to the 2025 Belmont Stakes and a horse and his dam on the threshold of history.
Photos courtesy of Benoit photos
Racing historian, author, and award-winning retired journalist for the Daily Racing Form and The Blood-Horse, Steve Haskin was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame’s Media Roll of Honor in 2016. Known for his racing knowledge and insightful prose, he has been an exclusive contributor to Secretariat.com since 2020.
When was the last time the 1-2-3 horses in the Derby finished 1-2-3 in the Belmont?
1977: Seattle Slew, Run Dusty Run, Sanhedrin. Of course, Seattle Slew also won the Preakness, with Run Dusty Run third behind Iron Constitution.
Incidentally, after his Triple Crown win, some people regarded Seattle Slew the way some people regard Justify, as a good horse lucky enough to face a weaker than average crop. Slew’s four-year-old campaign was sensational, however. We can only wonder about Justify.
Even better, the immortal Seattle Slew went on to become one of the most influential sires and broodmare sires of the 20th Century; Justify is heading in the same direction as Seattle Slew’s breed influence but his influence is the world over.
Pity he didn’t race at four like Slew.
That’s way too early to say about Justify, and I also disagree because he’s very much primarily a turf sire….he’s primarily (not completely) a European sire
Betsy, having sired an Epsom Derby winner for Coolmore one year, a 2,000 Guineas for Godolphine the next year as well as having a Grade 1 winning son in the US, now standing at Spendthrift, from his initial crop Justify couldn’t have done much better really.
Moreover, with the broodmare power these dominant Stud farms possess to send to Justify along with the expected traffic these three sons of Justify will draw from other breeders I can’t see Justify doing any but improving his presence the world over.
In five weeks, Journalism finished 2nd in the Derby, won the Preakness, and finished 2nd in the Belmont. I can’t help thinking that without Sovereignty, Journalism is a Triple Crown winner. Sovereignty was there however and is a VERY good horse. For a May foal, Baeza is performing very well. The Belmont lived up to my expectations. I hope the “Top Three” get a rest now. For all the talk of rivalries, none of the commentators mentioned one of the greatest ever–Damascus and Dr. Fager. Those two made the hair stand up on the back of my neck.
Great race. This is a very good crop.
Sovereignty definitely has the inside track to the Eclipse Award.
That said, FYI, Tiznow didn’t break his maiden until May 31 and Arrogate until 6/5. The year is far from over.
Congratulations Deterministic.
I know Mr Clement is smiling down from Heaven!
If the race was another mile, Sovereignty would have lapped them.
Sovereignty is ultra talented. Nothing but respect for him and Mott. Journalism ran in three races in five weeks.
David, Rank ran well to be third in the Affirmed – no one challenged Gaming, and he was strong throughout. Nevada Beach caught rank for 2nd, but it was still a good effort
I’m glad he got himself a SP, but it sure would be nice if he could win a race
Yes, Betsy, Rank did run well but it’s always hard when the speed has the perfect trip. Rank beat the Santa Anita Derby third horse by 5 or so lengths so that’s improvement.
David, they need to ship him – there’s nothing but mile MSW out in CA…and no real stakes for 3 year olds. He looks like he’d handle Easterm tracks, & there’s far more opportunities for him…
Godolphin salvaged a decent weekend in the U.S. after Good Cheer’s loss on Friday with Sovereignty’s Belmont win yesterday and East Avenue’s Matt Winn win at Churchill today. Apparently, they will be able to pay the bills and keep the lights on at Godolphin.
It was a Winn win situation.
Updated research:
**Count Turf in 1951 won the Derby, skipped the Preakness, and finished 7th in the Belmont Stakes.**
Then, Gato del Sol (2nd in BS) and Rich Strike (6th in BS) did the same. Finally, Sovereignty turned the trick. I suspect that we’ll see more Derby winners skip the Preakness.
We will have to watch at least one more Belmont at Saratoga with the shortened mile and a quarter distance. I hope that they will move the Metropolitan to Aqueduct next year so that we don’t have to watch one of America’s best races run out of that goofy Wilson Chute. Todd Pletcher even expressed concern about it for Fierceness in a pre-race interview. I’m not the only one complaining about it.
With the 2 races taken off the turf yesterday, we actually had to watch 3 of the 12 races run out of that goofy Wilson Chute. With 7, 3, and 5 horses.
I have disputed from the beginning the labeling of Sovereignty as a “deep closer”. I see him as a “push-button” horse. When Junior Alvarado pushes the button, Sovereignty kicks it into high gear and gets on them quick. Before they even see the fury coming.
I hope that Bill Mott and his team can keep it going. It’s a beautiful thing to see Sovereignty running them down in the stretch.
I was so hopeful when Fox took over for NBC broadcasting the Belmont at Saratoga. Very disappointing. They brought in a whole new crew and really dumbed down the broadcast. Seemed to steal the script from NBC. At one point, the lady at the desk asked the handicapper to explain what an exacta box is. OYE! The feature with the Osbourne father & daughter trainer/jockey combo answering questions was cute. But they weren’t really players in the big race. No offense. Incredibly boring IMO. The two postponed races had a lot to do with that. The huge amount of time between races. And Fox did the same thing that NBC does. Going to endless commercials after the horses come out for the post parade. We want to see the horses on the track. What they look like and how they are doing. BORING! right up until the time that they broke from the gate in the Belmont. A terrific race.
Regular horseplayers should be able to see the races on TVG/FanDuel without all the fluff. Leaving the Fox & NBC broadcasts for the people that don’t know what an exacta box is or want to see what kind of hats the ladies are wearing.
If you live in state that does not allow betting you cannot get an account on any of the betting sites to watch the races.
2nd problem, unless you have cable, you cannot watch live horse racing watch Fox.
I do not have cable, got rid of it years ago. $150.00 a month.
I am able to live stream NBC coverage on Peacock.
NBC is complaining that because viewership was down for the Preakness, they will not televise the Preakness next time unless the Kentucky Derby winner runs in the Preakness.
So for people like me, NBC is better than nothing.
Lynda, are you unable to watch “America’s Day at the Races” (NYRA) live on YouTube or other tracks like Woodbine or Tampa Bay etc who stream live on YouTube.
Tommy, the last person either network targets, or cares about, to watch a big race is the horse-racing fan or bettor. The coverage is for the 98%+ of TV viewers who don’t know a thing about the game. Submitted as evidence: Terry Bradshaw.
I hear what you’re saying, Tommy. I just watched the last hour leading up to post time and had a mixed reaction to what I saw. On the one hand, they did seem to be going out of their way to explain terms that are common knowledge to long-term fans, and I did find that a little irritating at times. But on the other hand, I can imagine how the terms of racing must sound like a foreign language to novices, and if we want to draw in new fans, it may be helpful to explain some of those terms on “general public” broadcasts like this. It’s a fine balance between welcoming newbies and alienating veteran fans with what seem like overly simplified explanations.
Totally agree with you about the hats, though. I hate when broadcasts spend time on hats. The hats aren’t running in the race, the horses are!
Agree! The hats are dumb!
When I watch Searling, Wofendale and Kinchens- always put them on mute.
I was very pleased to see Sovereignty win yesterday. But I also noticed that it was the 3 California horses that filled out the Super. Journalism is a very good horse. Very good. There is only one better. He’ll regroup in California and will be fine. I see the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile in his future. Although the BC Classic will be at Del Mar again this year. Kind of a home game for Journalism like Saratoga is for Sovereignty. Bill Mott said after the race that he lives in Saratoga in the summer. We’ll see.
I still consider Baeza a member of the ‘big-3″. Remember that he is a mid-May foal with lots of upside. Also, he was a little shook up yesterday in the paddock and in the post parade. And was rank in the stretch the first time going into the clubhouse turn. He still managed to finish 3rd on a bad day for him. I’ve never been to Saratoga. But that walk from the paddock to the track seems very long and the fans are right on top of the horses and jockeys. Baeza is not likely to have experienced anything like that in California. He will also regroup in California. He will win some big races in the future.
I’ll stop short of adding Rodriguez to a “big-4”. He is a good horse. But not on a level with the “big-3”. Better than the other 4 horses in the race though.
I can see Rodriguez running in the Dirt Mile, but I think there’s zero chance that Journalism does.
Watsonville is a 5yo son of Jack Milton, trained by the capable Mark Glatt….he cost $3k as a yearling, and was pinhooked for $240k as a 2yo—big profit—been away for a while—Watsonville is training quite well—probably being prepped for Del Mar—I intend to perform a cashecktomy on him when he does!..
I look forward to seeing Gosger run in the Haskell. He ran out of gas last time, but he may have been going too fast to sustain that run, or maybe he can’t get the 10 f. distance. Hopefully he’ll win next time and be in the Travers against the biggies.
Agree, that’s a good colt. Haskell distance should be a nice fit for him.
I hope the Matt Winn today gives us a good winner or multiple nice top placing horses to look forward to for the rest of the year. I am on Final Gambit, who apparently is never going to leave KY, and would like to see Coal Battle and East Avenue acquit themselves well, too!
I like this crop.
John Hancock is one I am really waiting on and Sandman should really mature mentally and physically exponentially over the next few months. Even better as four year olds for both.
Same here, Davids. Sandman has returned to the work tabs yesterday at Saratoga in preparation for a summer campaign. As for John Hancock, there is no sign of him since the LA Derby. I did not hear of any injury, so I’m not sure what’s up with him?
Thanks Dewey, I keep checking backwards and forwards at Equibase and the various websites of the owners. Investors never read anything about John Hancock either.
Sandman should be a magnificent looking 4 year old but will he still be racing then as he has the Grade 1 which seals the deal for stud duty. Just such an adorable horse.
Davids…I’m looking forward to seeing that short–legged colt of Bob’s, Cornucopuan—who they rushed—also—I don’t think we have seen the best of Barnes! Perhaps he will be developed into a sprinter….this year—the west coast three year olds have been very competitive…an we also have a bunch of good older fillies, good older filly sprinters…and Raging Torrent, whom I call “Big Skinny”—I’m not sure WHAT he is….I think he is a one turn horse, so maybe they point towards the Pat O’Brian again…Doug has done a terrific job, with him….
Yes Matthew, I wish they wouldn’t rush them into stakes races so quickly. I still check, in vain probably, to see Maymum on the work tab but alas, no luck not that Maymum ever raced in a stakes race.
Californian runners may dominate the Breeders’ Cup this year.
So…Sovereignty is the first horse (of three, according to historian Matthew W) to win the Derby, skip the Preakness, and win the Belmont. From my findings, Journalism is the first horse since Victory Gallop in 1998 to win one leg of the TC (the Belmont) and finish second in the other two.
We’ll never know what might have happened if Sovereignty had been entered in the Preakness. What we know is that the Preakness is a sixteenth of a mile shorter than the Derby (and this year’s Belmont) and that it was run on a fast track. It’s apparent to me that Mott, who knows the horse better than anyone, felt that his horse wouldn’t be at his best coming back in 2 weeks.
I hope that we see a rematch in the Travers, but McCarthy didn’t seem so inclined in post-race interviews.
First sentence, I meant of three to try.
They may look at the Pacific Classic…
Yes, Matthew, that seems logical. It’s a long time to the PC, though. I hope he has a prep before then. Do you think he would have just one race between the Belmont and the BC Classic?
Well if they stay home…there really isn’t much to run in, Del Mar is turf, for 3yos….The Oacific Classic is a tough race for a three year old—in late August/early September—two months before The Breeders Cup—maybe they try turf?..
David, great idea – I think I already have it because I love to watch Poirot!
Excellent, Betty, and a Poirot fan as well. Ha Ha I read all the Agatha Christie books when i was a young teenager. I even faked illnesses to stay home and finish reading the books. They took you away to another world.
Betsy, not Betty, my eyes are so bleary from watching too many races. lol
And I must be bleary eyed from sheer exhaustion because I didn’t catch that, lol !!!
Ha, David, you delinquent !
I’ve never actually read any of the stories, lol – but I really should !
When I get home, I’m going to start!
Betsy, the storyline in the books are much more complex than the TV and Movie versions. You’ll really enjoy reading the books or, as I often do now, get an audiobook version – the full version, not abridged versions.
There are many free on YouTube.
Lovely win.
Robbie was patting his neck as they crossed the finish line.
Congratulations to all.
First time in the history of the TC a horse won the Derby, skipped the Preakness and won the Belmont per a friend of mine who keeps up with such things.
No whip use blowback this time. Robbie had all kinds of horse! When I saw that striped face looming over Journalism’s left hip, I knew it was about to get interesting. Fabulous colts!
I noticed that. Robbie just urged him on and Sovereignty took off!
Looking forward to seeing Sovereignty, Journalism and Baeza in more races later this summer.
I agree, fabulous colts!!!
? Who was the smarter trainer? McCaryhy or mott?
1 horse ran in the 1st two TC race and the other skipped the preajness…
Both are very smart and very good trainers. One is already in the Hall of Fame.
Yes Roberta. It we would be nice if more of us could appreciate a well run race between two really good horses in the spirit shown by the two jockeys after the race. It was a good day for racing.
It was, Todd. I’ll be interested to see the TV ratings for the Fox broadcast.
I really think to skip the Preakness was due the owner/breeder, Sheikh Mo, wanting to run him in Dubai.
He wants to run him as a 4 year old and doesn’t want him injured.
Terri, my opinion was good idea skipping Preakness.
2 times now, Sovereignty has has run passed Journalism like he was standing still….what you think?
Ha ha! Dominic, we have different ways of viewing races. That’s all I will say. I’m proud of both horses.
I am proud of both horses…Journalism ran great..why do fans think that if a horse runs second it was a bad race? Clearly Soveriegnty is the better horse!
I agree, Dominic. It’s an all or nothing attitude. People don’t understand that, in many previous derbies and Belmonts, Journalism’s efforts would be winning ones. And Sovereignty is certainly the better horse — so far, and at 10f on off-tracks. Ha!
I like all horses…they are great animals!
But you cant be sentimental when wsgering. JOURNALISM ran a great race. What bothers me is the so called fans who think hes no good because he ran 2nd. To me it seems as though he rsn great….2nd in the derby and belmont is a great race…
Bravo!
These two may be the best we’ve seen for awhile. And as much as I admire Journalism, Sovereignty dominates him, and they both know it.
I’d say that was a :48 last half….except Sovereignty was not in front after 6 fur—he went faster..
I think the lead and finish times came out to :48 2/5, and Sovereignty made up 2 lengths. So that’s :48 for the winner. Or maybe :47 4/5?
On dirt that is an incredible last half mile, for a ten furlong race..
I never forgave journalism for fouling the hell out of two horses (especially Goal Oriented)to Fraudulently win Preakness. Sweet revenge 🙌
Why can’t people just enjoy a wonderful day of racing? Isn’t there enough bitterness in this world?
Thanks Roberta Greevey. It was an exceptional day of racing and not a single horse or jockey was injured.
Great race! I was rooting for Journalism, but I’ve got to hand it to Sovereignty; he was terrific. Loved the footage of Alvarado and Rispoli patting each other’s horses shortly after the race.
This has been a marvelous Triple Crown season!
Not to forget the kisses.
Davids, lots and lots of kisses!
What a great moment of sportsmanship and appreciation for what those colts have accomplished and given this Spring! Warmed my heart.
Mine, too!
af, one of the best TC seasons as of late!!!
Absolutely, Lynda! This is my favorite Triple Crown season in years. I discovered several new horses, trainers, and jockeys to root for.
Kudos to SOVEREIGNTY, BILL MOTT, & JUNIOR ALVARADO. My quick research says this is the first time since 1977 that the first three finishers were the same in the Derby and the Belmont…in the exact same order!
Yes, Roberta, a lot of interesting milestones for this year’s Belmont. Not only was Sovereignty really impressive in victory, but there were so many other wonderful performances, from Raging Sea’s defeat of Fierceness and White Abarrio in the Met Mile to Patch Adams’s emergence as a Grade 1 winner in the Woody Stephens. Not to mention Parchment Party’s break-through stakes win yesterday. The Derby trail horses (from several years) acquitted themselves well this weekend, with more to come tomorrow.
It was only a Torrent, not a Sea. Ha ha
Yes, Ms B. It’s been a great weekend at the Spa, and I’m sure there will be excitement tomorrow. It looked like a massive crowd today, even though the rain was heavy early on.
Yes, Roberta, Junior Alvarado never gets the kudos he deserves. Bill Mott is a great trainer.
True, Davids. And the venom that was spewed toward Mr. Mott was disgraceful.
A hack writer on another site did a hit job on Mott as result of skipping Preakness.
Another beautiful confident ride by Junior Alvarado. He knew that he had the goods.
I don’t know about anybody else, but when Fox ran that piece about Bill Mott’s granddaughter, Margot (and showed the adorable video or her singing “Happy Birthday”) and THEN told us about the brain tumor that killed her, I was in tears. The video reminded me so much of my equally adorable great niece, who fortunately is healthy. Just heartbreaking. I wish Sovereignty and his people well in the Belmont.
Agree with you Ms Blacktype.. Put a lump in my throat. I thought very good coverage of this race by FOX… Actually liked all coverage this year of the Triple Crown races… KUDOS to all.
David, how about AP Kid? He just blew the doors off the field in a very professional performance. Unlike his debut – against Gosger- APK today was relaxed, and when JV asked, he took off
Lots of options for him now…
Woo hoo!
Yes, Betsy, A.P. Kid was stellar today. A bright spot in a rather miserable day. The Epsom Derby was so ordinary not that I particularly like any that ran really.
The Epsom Derby was dull – no one really did any running except the winner
I’m going to float to Edinburgh, lol
By canal or by boat in the North Sea? It would be great if Rank were to win tomorrow in the Affirmed Stakes.
On clouds after AP Kid!
I’d love that, but I don’t expect it – he’ll either run well or be beaten double digits, lol
He should have had a break a long time ago
Betsy, mark your calendar- Royal Ascot, June 17 – June 21, 2025. 5 days of glorious racing.
David, I’ll be in Paris & Bayeux, so I don’t think I’ll be able to watch any of the races live
Betsy, you could put the ITVX App on your mobile or tablet and it’s free. They are showing the Royal Ascot live.
Betsy I hope they keep Johnny V on AP Kid, he gave him a great ride.
I believe John Sherriffs trained AP Kids sire, Honor AP. And ironically, he honored his sire, grandsire, Honor Code, and great grandsire AP Indy by winning his first stakes race on the day of the Belmont.
Went back and forth on this many times, going with Journalism today. Baeza 2nd.
Great mike…made a good score for myself too…..journalism ran well but couldn’t stay w SOV
Congrats to you Dominic.
I had Raging Torrent! Whoo-hoo!
Good for you…liked him but didnt bet the race…..Fierceness had an absolutely perfec trip….from the best post by far.
Congrats, arlingtonfan! That was impressive. Looks like the two months return after Dubai was just fine for RT. Ha ha.
Good hit….rewatching the race—I noticed big cheering, as he drew away down the stretch—a lot of people in the large crowd were happy—
Since his 1:21 1/5 in the race right after the 2024 Kentucky Derby—he has only lost once—in the NC Sprint, from that Del Mar rail….
(BCSprint)
Great call, congrats!
Thank you, everybody!
Congratulations, AF! I only heard after the race that Raging Torrent — already a Grade 1 winner — was 18 to 1 in the Met Mile, a race that was a perfect distance for him.
In an aside, UNCAGED is the only horse besides Sovereignty in the Belmont who has won on a muddy track, and he’s done it twice. Maybe worth a two buck flyer.
Thank you, Ms Blacktype! I think he was 8 to 1, but I’m such a cautious bettor that it felt like 18 to 1 to me!
Really like this horse. Wins on at least 5 different tracks, one half a world away. The mile distance was perfect for him, and he’s always competitive at 7F, too. Good pick, arlingtonfan!
I wonder what the excuse for Fiercenes…he had the best possible post position to begin with.
He had a dream trip…couldn’t have had a better trip….he ran great but got beat by a betrr horse period…even Big Red got beat now n then!
Dominic, I read that Pletcher stated that Fierceness didn’t have as much time between races as he did before the Alysheba.
I wasn’t surprised by Nakatomi’s lackluster effort in the G3 True North. Last year, Wesley Ward gave him 4 months to recover from the Dubai sprint and travel, and he was reWARDed with a G1 Vanderbilt win. This time, Nakatomi had just 2 months’ rest after the Dubai race.
The Met Mile has two Florida Derby winners! Fierceness and White Abarrio. I’ll be rooting for White Abarrio and Saffie Joseph, but when Fierceness is at his best, no horse is better!
I expect Journalism to move earlier today and get the jump on the closers. In watching the KD replay, when Sovereignty got alongside him, Journalism gave up, which is why Baeza nearly caught him. Journalism has the turn of foot to open up a lead and hold on, maybe.
I’m sorry to have to disagree with you, Todd. But Journalism did NOT “give up” when Sovereignty “got alongside him.” They hooked up out of the turn and Sov didn’t begin to edge clear until the sixteenth pole.
Regardless, I am coming out of my chair in anticipation of this great matchup. Sov is coming back on his typical schedule, and J is as fit as can be. I’m leaning to Sov because he’s a Florida Derby runner and because of the overheated and undeserved criticism of Bill Mott. There are a few hours to post-time, so I expect the odds of the top two to be closer than they are now.
Sovereignty is a better bet…watch what happens late with Journaliasm in rhe home stretch…picture real quiet smarty jones…and several others…I’m glad TP got beat
Me too..
Remember, maybe is the key word.
What a crazy day playing the horses. Races off turf. Races moved to another day.
The bulk of my bets were cancelled. Probably for the best. Saves me money.
Belmont handles rain better…Belmont t is 12 furlongs…Belmont is open, they stable and they train there, put up an infield tent for saddling…only a couple of yearsno fans—looks the same on video—Belmont is America’s best track, for racing—Saratoga and Del Mar ate the Summer boutique tracks….
I agree 100%.
They did that the Covid year, I thought it was awful with no crowd and no track would do it if they had an alternative. In addition, the Belmont track is torn apart and under construction
No it is not THEY TRAIN AT BELMONT AND SHIP INTO AQUEDUCT
They train on the Belmont training track, not the main track.
Ok, I guess they would have to, thanks. Had construction on my mind I guess.
Saratoga is an absolute gem–easily my favorite, and I’ve been to nearly all the candidates, past and present.
Can’t wait to experience it myself for the first time.
You won’t want to leave!
Happy Belmont Day, everyone! Wishing safe trips for all.
The scratches are up for Saratoga.
Make sure that you stay around for that 14th race which has scratched down to a 4-horse affair. The Met Mile at least has 5. A million dollar purse doesn’t attract what it used to.
Races 6 & 10 are off the turf as well. 3,6,10, & 14. Expect more scratches.
Geez, the Pennine Ridge & Wonder Again are also off the turf
So disappointing –
It’s only 8:45am, but it looks like races 3 & 14 are off the turf for now.
Johnny V, Dylan Davis, Chad Brown, and Flavien Prat all had good days on Friday.
Johnny V has Fierceness on Saturday. Flavien Prat loaded on Saturday.
Wet tracks could throw everything off.
150 Win – Rodriguez
70 Place – Rodriguez
5 Exacta – Journalism > Rodriguez
Well, I must say, as a Star Wars fan, I was delighted by Dorth Vader’s victory in the Ogden Phipps!
So, we finally found out the key to unveiling who Parchment Party really is…. a mud loving marathoner. He won the 1 3/4 m. Belmont Gold Cup handily under Johnny V., paying $16 for the win. Thank you, Bill Mott for giving PP a shot here. It made my day.
Wasn’t it great, Dewey? After the disappointment of watching Whirl just being pipped at the post in the Epsom Oaks after leading nearly all the way it was glory time to see Parchment Party take control and lengthen his lead the further it went.
I wonder if they’ll try the Melbourne Cup with Parchment Party after getting the invitation by winning. The Melbourne Cup prize money is Aus$14 million this year. The cop itself is worth $250,000.
It’s worth a flutter.
David, I’m happy for you, but his turf races were bad ….Do you really think it would be worth flying many thousands of miles to run against the best turf horses in the world?
It seems odd to me the invitation still stands when the race was taken off the turf
Betsy, Bill Mott has already put doubt on Parchment Party travelling to Melbourne as he noted the horse doesn’t run well on turf.
Looks like more rain at Saratoga and Epsom Downs. Hmmmm
Yuck
I wanted to see how APK classes up to his rivals in the Pennine Ridge – that’s going to be impossible to determine on a yielding course. They may scratch him – maybe not, because he’s been ready to run since the American, when he didn’t draw in
Really sucks for Heart, but there’s nothing we can do. Sigh
It’s been freezing cold and raining here for the past couple of days as well. I went through the per hour weather predictions for Saturday at Saratoga. Early rain then fine most of the day but until the Belmont then a thunderstorm is predicted. We might be lucky.
Epsom looks like rain all day with breaks of sunshine.
I’m crossing my fingers and toes from across the ocean, David!!!!
I’ll try to catch the Derby today – it depends on what time it is. Hopefully I’ll he back for it!
Whirl JUST missed in the Oaks!
Davids, I didn’t know that an invitation to the Melbourne Cup was offered to the winner. To even be an entry in such a classic race would be an honor that would be hard to decline. However, as Betsy says, Parchment Party’s efforts, to date, on the turf haven’t looked good. So, it’s best to stay home and pray for rain going a distance, ha! ha!
Dewey, the Melbourne Cup is an incredibly had race to win just by numbers – 24 starters – moreover, the track can be as hard as cement if it’s a warm dry spring or, alternatively, extremely soft if there’s been a heavy downpour during the the last couple of days.
The European horses find the turf too hard here in Melbourne and often jar up.
Yeah, when many instances some threw the horse under the bus. Always felt all he needed was time.
To be fair, he beat turf horses running in slop
Maybe, but he’s battled injuries. Many gave up on him long ago.
Your right, Mike. Many gave up on Parchment Party. Some trainers would also have given up on PP, but Bill Mott didn’t and that was good enough for me. I was confident that he would like the mud, as both his mom and dad have been producing mudders.
Well stated Dewey. Thanks!
Read that too, Mike. It was a disgraceful hatchet job on mott/godolphin. Its in every sport…ganstrr mentality …they think they’re going to take horse racing hostage til there demsnds are met…i wouldve loved to see my boy SOV continue on, bt I’m notgoing to disparage hall of famer Bill Mott, a guy who the fans s*** all over brcuasehe doesnt drag some poor victim to the KD every year like you know who…Mott could outtrain those 2 with half his brai tied behind his back. In horseracings fight to stay alive the fans are a detriment…
Dominic, everything in your post is SPOT ON!
Thank you, Mike…so many variables in thandicapping. Information from sites like this are helpful….certain people have grest skills picking winners…all i need to do is determine if what i read is valid info or maybe not…its a good crop….its a good 3yo crop…cant wait for tge big raxes to come along…
Was having a bad day until reading on another racing site, a disgruntled writer bemoaning decision to pass on Preakness for Sov.Only wish I could tell the cry baby “Rome isn’t burning”. Get over it,or find another SPORT TO FOLLOW!
Bernardini continues on his path to BMS greatness as La Cara takes the Acorn
That was a great call of the Belmont Gold Cup by a guest announcer. World class. Sign that guy up permanently.
Page three, of Saturday’s Racing Form—of Journalism standing up on his rear legs! I will just enjoy the race, no bets—rooting for Big J….
No bets??? I admire your restraint and discipline. The tracks are already goofed up.
But they sealed the main track in time. It could be OK tomorrow afternoon. Maybe.
The turf? Who knows?
It’s really difficult for handicappers with that early 10:45am first post on Saturday. We have to get busy early. Waiting for the scratches and changes. Then a mad scramble to see what horses are scratched and which races are taken off the turf. There are about a zillion multi-race wagers tomorrow to make things even more difficult.
If I had half a brain in my head, I would sit on my hands and just watch the races as well. But it is the Belmont. Well, kind of. The last big day until the Travers.
People always say that horseracing “shoots itself in the foot”. Tomorrow will be another perfect example of that. They will have us hopping around across three different TV channels. FS1, FS2, and Big Fox. I still haven’t figured out which one is when. Why can’t we have a channel in this day and age that shows all the races in one place? Well, we do have a channel like that called TVG/FanDuel. But NYRA won’t let that channel show the races tomorrow. Just like NBC wouldn’t allow TVG/FanDuel to show the Stakes races on Derby Day and Preakness Day. Horseracing fans put up with a lot. Somebody should call Mike Repole, the self-appointed commissioner of horseracing, and get this fixed.
Tommy, you make a good point. From a semi-local perspective, there was so much hoopla here in New York (I live 2 hours away from Saratoga), I figured even today the track would be packed. Nuh-uh. Of course it DID pour around 4 p.m. so I was glad to be on the couch at home. That said, I had recorded the Saratoga feed on the NY channel that always broadcasts them — and then it ended at 5 pm! Found the FS channel, but missed the Gold Cup. Will watch the Acorn with interest — even though I already know who won!
Tomorrow should be glorious, at least from a racing standpoint. Interesting that most of the Derby field is running in one of three featured races: the Matt Winn at Churchill, and the Woody Stephens and Belmont at Saratoga. The sorting has begun.
Ms, Blacktype, N.Y. is great except for winter, which I detest.
Oh I am betting tomorrow! Just not on The Belmont! Am looking for winners tonight! One that I like: Race five #6 Antonio of Venice, 8-1…..yake’em down tomorrow, Tommy!..
You are right on about the TV coverage…minor league at best…and rihht on the money about repole…dont know who he thinks he is, but he thinks he knoes everything to know…turns out h just likes to talk…
Also rooting for Journalism, but the race isn’t bettable from a financially sound standpoint. Too many variables, even without the off track. Any of 5 horses wouldn’t surprise me.
Steve, Besides being my favorite Horse expert you are also my favorite Storyteller. That was an amazing article. Thanks for sharing. YOU should write a book with all your stories.
I watched 3 races from Saratoga on Thursday, 2 on turf, one on the main track. All were won in wire to wire fashion. Double speed bias?????
It probably won’t matter. The forecast predicts that there will be lots of rain tonight and Saturday morning at Saratoga Springs.
Baeza catches my interest. Journalism’s margin for 2nd was a very very diminishing neck over Baeza. Plus, I’m a big fan of Sheriff’s runners being fit and ready. As a bonus, AP Kid runs in a race earlier on program. 5 horses have come back to win out of his maiden score. Not saying he’s gonna win, but what a live race.
Steve,
Another nice read this week. I feel at times like I am back in school in my history / social study class with me as the student and you the teacher.
With a good chance of rain this weekend at Saratoga I will probably skip the betting part of the Belmont Stakes and just watch. Getting tired of the “off” track scenarios.
Have a great rest of the week
BTW … Not faulting the track…. just blaming the weatherman I guess !!!
Move the derby to Santa Anita (dodges tomatoes being thrown at him) lol
There was talk in the 1990s of moving the Preakness Stakes to Santa Anita. I thought it had a lot of merit not that I felt it would ever happen.
There is great merit. The population has shifted dramatically during the past 100 years. The TC locations are within 700+ miles of each other, representing the northeast, mid-Atlantic, and the midwest/south. It’s over 2,000 miles from Louisville to Arcadia. West coast horses have always been at a disadvantage due to travel distance.
80% of the US population lives east of the Mississippi river.
The triple crown predates big track racing in California, it should remain where it is and it WILL.
I know all of that. 😄
I provided that statistic because you said the population has shifted dramatically, but it really hasn’t. Certain states have grown a lot in that time, like Florida and California, maybe a few southwestern states too.
Texas, of course, is west of the Mississippi, and it’s the second largest state. My very own Florida is #3 – yeah and boo!
Roberta, I probably have a more pragmatic approach, than traditional, when it comes to racing although I revere racing’s past history. Santa Anita probably would be in a better situation now had they been given the Preakness but how this would have impacted Maryland is unsure.
The fear that Santa Anita may fold would have ramifications around the US racing circuit. Here in Melbourne, inner city racetracks have sold land around the tracks for high rise housing. Subsequently, ensuring a living fan club at their doorstep for the future.
Davids, I do understand that the California t-bred industry, and specifically SA, has its problems. But its demise will be a very slow one. California, if it were a country, would have the fourth largest economy in the world. Somehow, I’m sure horse racing there will survive at least as long as in the rest of the U.S.
Not that it will happen, but the Preakness at SA is a fascinating proposition.
Exactly Roberta, California is the fourth largest economy in the world and they can’t or don’t want to support one of horse racing’s icons of the world. Bob Baffert’s retirement from racing could be a watershed, negatively. I hope not.
I never heard that…makes zero sense to contest and Triple Crown race in California—then or now—there is nothing wrong with the Triple Crown, two horses have won it in the past 10 years—should Journalism win tomorrow, he will have defeated his three main rivals—all whom enjoyed a 5-week break, between races—again pointing out there is nothing wrong, with the Triple Crown….
There’s nothing wrong with the triple crown regardless of anything you mentioned.
It was when the Stronach Group first bought the tracks, they floated the idea because Pimlico was in such disrepair and would coast too much to renovate the track.
Weather is part of handicapping….I wager rain or shine….its just an added factor. If I bet a race in the rain and lose i certainly dont think the rain was the reason….its just a simplistic way for bad handicapping….remember Catholic Boy? Cant ein on the dirt they said because he won turf….Whe he win the travers i collected 3500 dollars because just as i thought, he could in fact run on dirt….just saying
But Catholic Boy HAD won on dirt.
Castle Chaos scratched today. It looks like he WILL be running in the Metropolitan. He is a good horse, but no chance against the other four IMO. No offense. I hope he doesn’t get in the way.
Davids – I need your help!
Saratoga is offering an Epsom Derby – Belmont Daily Double.
Give me your top two Epsom horses. Please.
Thanks in advance,
David
DTG, I wish I had a nice price to offer you but the Epsom Derby looks all chalk to me.
I like Delacroix, by Dubawi out of the grand mare Tepin, to win but he’s the favorite at 7/2; Ruling Court is by Justify and won the 2,000 Guineas he is the second favorite at 4/1; Pride of Arras is 11/2 and undefeated then there is The Lion in Winter at 7/1 he was the winter favorite for the Epsom Derby but last out was a disaster.
Ryan Moore has chosen Delacroix and Moore is in scintillating form right now. The Epsom Derby is a true stamina test. Dubawi has yet to sire an Epsom Derby winner.
Ruling Court might be too brilliant for the Epsom Derby. That’s the trouble there are so many ifs and buts with this field. Hope this helped.
Thanks Davids!
In keeping with the theme of family, I would like to offer bittersweet congratulations to Miguel Clement and the rest of Christophe Clement’s family and staff. Coach Case bravely refused to be passed at Saratoga in the first win for the barn after losing their patriarch. The combination of joy and sorrow would be overwhelming.
Nice ride, Dylan! Keep it going, Miguel!
Yes Katy, fingers crossed for Carson’s Run in the Manhattan Stakes on Saturday.
Colloquial will be scratched from the Wood Stephens, making the race more wide open than it already was. Would love to see Patch Adams win, but have a suspicion Citizen Bull will once again demonstrate his class.
“Horse Racing Legends”—on f book……is posting outrageous BUNK—about jockeys…..all untrue, meant to throw shade on the sport….Horse Racing has enemies—
How many horses have won The Derby….skipped The Preakness then won The Belmont? I’d say none… and mewonders—they decided so quickly, about passing on a Triple Crown—was he tired?….He looked pretty good vs Arthur’s Ride….did Godolphin really not care about The Triple Crown?…I just don’t think so…
None!
Matthew, how many horses have won the Derby, skipped the Preakness, and lost in the Belmont?
I think two, since the early 1980s—Gato Del Sol and Rich Strike..
Oh my goodness! Two Derby longshots. No wonder there hasn’t been a winner. Thanks, Matthew.
Perhaps they were never going ti run in the pteakness regardless of derby results….i’m with you. I wish he ran but Bill Mott is still my guy. Believe it or not Godolphin want to win in dubai …thats where he livrs…thats his goal…the lynch mob mentality of the fand in genrral is sickening…
Castle Chaos is entered in the 5-horse Metropolitan on Saturday at Saratoga. But I see that he is also entered in the 8th race at Saratoga today. 6-1 today. 20-1 on Saturday.
It’s possible that we get to see a 4-horse Met Mile on Saturday. It would be a quality four horses though.
Fierceness won his very first race over a muddy track at Saratoga in August of ’23 by
11 1/4 lengths. He then finished 20 1/4 lengths behind Timberlake in the Champagne at Aqueduct a month and a half later on a sloppy track before winning the BC Juvenile at 16-1 in Arcadia a month after that. He likes muddy, but hates sloppy???? What kind of a track will he get on Saturday.
I was going to take a shot with Raging Torrent if he drew an inside post out of that goofy Wilson Chute. But he drew widest. Does it really matter in a 4 or 5 horse race? Besides, I think that he could still out-foot Fierceness to the lead. But I really don’t know how Raging Torrent will perform fist race back from the UAE.
I was watching some replays in preparation for Belmont Saturday and it looks like Just a Touch has really improved after returning from an eight month layoff since whatever happened to him at Prairie Meadows in July of last year. His two comeback races were terrific. Of course, there weren’t any Fierceness or White Abarrios in either of those races. Not even a Raging Torrent.
Tommy, I hope you went with Raging Torrent! He did exactly what you said he would.
An excellent column, Steve, and one I found very meaningful. I learned a lot about two horses I like and admire a great deal–Puca and Baeza–and I wish them both a particularly rewarding day on Saturday.
I was very sad to learn about Braulio Baeza’s health issues. As I’ve said before, he was my all-time favorite jockey and, I believe, the best rider I’ve ever seen. When anyone would ask the question “If you owned a horse and could have any jockey of any era at his prime to ride him, who would you choose?”, I never had to hesitate. The rides he gave Buckpasser were masterful. The colt would ease himself as soon as he got in front, so it was important that he take the lead right at the wire and not before. Baeza could always manage that. I never knew how, but he did. I had wondered why he was not asked to comment on the horse named for him–now we know. I hope he will be able to see the Belmont. Even if he doesn’t understand it, maybe something would ring a bell somewhere. Anyhow, he and Janice are in my prayers, and, Steve, I appreciate your telling us about this. Thank you.
Jiffy, I really enjoyed reading your post. Buckpasser was one of my ‘adored’ horses which I never saw run. Thank you.
Thank you for telling me that, Davids. I was afraid my post on a subject like that might be too emotional, and I thought maybe I shouldn’t comment at all. But I did, and I’m really glad you liked what I wrote.
As for Buckpasser, cheering for him was a lot of fun. Every race was a cliff-hanger, a nail-biter, a heart-pounder, but almost always with a happy ending. You would always think that he couldn’t get up there to win, but he almost always did. I can’t recall any other horse quite like him. When he died–at stud at Claiborne–one sportswriter ended his tribute “Buckpasser and Baeza. Those were the days.” Indeed they were.
Think Big is the 6-5 ML favorite in the 5 1/2 furlong Jaipur on Saturday at Saratoga. I have no problem with him being favored, but 6-5 is too low against that field. Ag Bullet was moving like a winner in his last at Churchill before getting stopped along the rail in the stretch. Ag Bullet might be best at 6 1/2 furlongs, but he could be worth a play with Flavien Prat taking over.
Think Big is no slouch. He is a perfect 4 for 4 on turf and at 5 1/2 furlongs. But Ag Bullet will be getting 5 lbs. from Think Big. Which could be the difference over a “soft” turf course. That would be like having a “bug boy” rider and the “bug boy” being Flavien Prat.
About Baeza — I can think of only one horse that came from out of the clouds to finish well in the Derby (close and on the board) and then won the Preakness or Belmont. That was Exaggerator who won the Preakness, then finished well back in the Belmont. Can anyone think of another, at least this century? It seems like almost every Derby there’s a Baeza type, and the horse gets a lot of buzz. I think that Baeza might be good for second or third, but not first.
Way back in 1974…in a 23–horse Derby—Little Current came from far back to finish 5th….then won’t he Preakness and Belmont…..but not long ago—Summer Bird ran a good 5th in The Derby …shipped The Preakness and won The Belmont…I think there was a more recent one—that ran 5th in the Derby…skipped the Preakness and won the Belmont—Pletcher/Irad…..cannot recall his name but it was recent…
Matthew, you inspired me to get off my duff and look up the history. You have a pretty good memory. But some details are off. First, Little Current. (Didn’t he become a great turf sire?) LC did make a big rally, but he did finish off the board and wasn’t close to the winner, 6.5 lengths behind. Summer Bird? Well, not quite in the Baeza model. Ha! He was way back early and passed a lot of horses. But he finished 6th and was further back of the leader than he was after a half mile.
You are correct that Pletcher/Irad had a Derby closer … in 2022. Mo Donegal. He had a big rally in the Derby after breaking awkwardly from Post 1 and being 10 wide leaving the second turn. But alas, he finished off the board, too., and lost by 3 3/4 lengths.
I like Baeza. He will win some big races. I just think he’s up against it in this one.
I think that Baeza’s running style in the Derby was necessitated by his horrible post in the extreme outside #19. I’m pretty sure that he will be in a much closer position on Saturday. In his 2 races before the Derby, Baeza was never more than 3 1/2 lengths off the lead. I think that Flavien Prat can put Baeza anywhere he wants. Baeza is a late developing May foal with a beautiful rising numbers pattern. He still has to get past Sovereignty and Journalism, but his likely odds of 4-1 or 5-1 make him worth a play.
I’m locked in on Sovereignty for personal reasons. But I will also use Baeza on my multiple race tickets.
I wouldn’t be surprised if any of the “big-3” win on Saturday.
Tommy, I think that many of the big Derby closers in recent history had reasons like Baeza for being so far behind in the Derby. But Baeza is a must play in exotics.
Barza is not a deep closer….I his prior two races he made the front at the top of the stretch—in the Derby he was far back….he won’t be far back on Saturday..
Roberta, in support of your point, but in the 1900s (as these cheeky young people call it), Strike the Gold won the Derby from the back of the field. Hansel was too much for any of the rest in the Preakness, and Strike the Gold sat back in a rail trip and never put in a good run. Strike the Gold went off the Belmont favorite (Zito effect!), and came to Hansel in the final turn and stretch with a big outside move. Hansel appeared leg weary, but got the lead change and held off STG by a head. It was the perfect rematch, and both colts were game as could be in the Belmont.
Thanks for replying, Katy. I think I wasn’t as precise in the wording of my original comments as I could have been. I was referring to Derby deep closers, like Baeza this year, who didn’t WIN but were close and on the board. Those kind always get a lot of attention, are typically overbet in the Preakness or Belmont, and don’t win. And, oh yes, that Hansel/STG Belmont was a humdinger!
I agree with your overall point, closers (those who ran as such even if they’re not normally closers) come running at the end, and they’re often closing faster than the winner in the final 2 furlongs, but they don’t win that race or the next one against the same company. 1 1/2 furlongs is a solid margin of victory for Sovereignty, enough to dismiss the what if’s being offered for Journalism and Baeza, in the Derby. It was a solid win. Journalism could turn the tables, if he’s improved from the Derby.
Something tells me (the Preakness) that J has improved since the Derby. Oh what a race this could be!
Journalism has beyer figures that are trending downward .not by much but still, downward….i like SOV and baeza in s cold exacta box…
Beyer beware! Brisnet figures say J is a machine.
Risen Star and Afleet Alex
Hi, Mr. Haskin! Yes, Risen Star in 1988 accomplished what Baeza is trying to do. And RS did it in both the Preakness AND Belmont. But Afleet Alex? I can’t put him in the category that I laid out in my original post. AA wasn’t too far back early (11th of 20 after 4f and 8.5 lengths behind). And though he did rally, he couldn’t sustain it well enough in the stretch, being passed by Giacomo.
The kind that I was thinking about were Sierra Leone, Angel of Empire, Simplification, Lookin At Lee, and so on.
I’m very excited about the Belmont at Saratoga. I’m hoping the grounds crew can work its magic and give us a fast track.
Roberta, you’d be better off going down on your knees beseeching Zeus or Freyr for the goodness of horse racing. I’ll start from here. Ha ha
Ha ha ha! My weather source says the rain chance is low starting around 1 pm Saturday. I am optimistic.
Roberta with your optimism and my sublimation we might just pull it off. Ha ha Best of luck.
Thanks, Davids. Same to you!
I’m ruling out Sovereignty and Baeza based on physical appearance.
Want to get some more looks at Journalism and Rodriguez before coming up with my winner.
What is it about their appearance that led you to rule them out? I’m interested because I always find it intriguing to assess a horse’s appearance as part of my decision making.
arlingtonfan, there is fantastic footage of Sovereignty, Journalism et al on YouTube. It’s just been posted there, search for:
‘Sovereignty, Journalism Train Ahead of Rematch at Saratoga for the 2025 Belmont Stakes’
The footage is excellent.
Just watched that. I subscribe to APharoah12’s channel. His video made me want to take another look at Baeza. He should post more footage the next two days.
Just watched the video. Journalism has a fairly wide rump compared to the rest of the bunch.
BB is on record stating that…the bigger the rump, the stronger they run.
Agree, Baeza, Journalism I really liked. Sovereignty, not as much he looked better at Churchill Downs but that could change.
Relatively early days, lots of time to decide.
That was terrific! I felt like I was there. Thank you so much for the heads-up, Davids!
I only look at the shoulder shape/muscle. Has to be a direct side view while the horse is walking. Would need to have a discussion on the details.
And I might have to take a few more looks at Baeza after watching a new video just now, before ruling him out for sure. But I’ve seen enough of Sovereignty to confirm I won’t be backing him.
I think you’re going down a rabbit hole. Sovereignty won by 1 1/2 lengths, going away, so he has a proven stride. Horses who have lingered catch up at the end, like Baeza did, it looks like he could have won, but he needed to turn it on earlier in the race. But if he had done that, he might have tired in the final yards. I’ll choose the top two KD horses and add my personal favorites, Crudo and Hill Road, to make a superfecta box, with some fun for me and a chance to make money.
Thanks for your info on Maine.
How did the look?
*they
David, HAP just had a winner at the Spa – 56-1 on turf debut! Outsource was a plodder on dirt, but he made a very long, sustained run to just get up – very impressive
Johnny V rode him, so I wonder if they knew something. He was just claimed by Tom Morley, so he’s in good hands
Betsy, June 5 at Saratoga in Race 1. Tremont Stakes, Honor A. P. Is represented by the 2 year old colt, Romeo – Number 5.
Romeo is 9/5 second favorite. Fingers crossed.
David, believe me – I know! I’ll be nervous all day!!
80 BSF for Outsource – solid!!
Betsy, third was ok for Romeo. If you had any doubts that Saratoga is going to be speed favoring on Saturday just watch today’s races. Speed carried….
Oh I thought he ran terribly today – he had no speed whatsoever, just had nothing. HAP needs as many good horses as possible, so this sucked. Hopefully he’ll do better back in MD
Now it’s to Saturday. I’d be excited about APK, but the turf is going to likely be soft or yielding, so not exactly happy. I really hope the track is fast just so I can see what Heart. An do
Rank is entered in the Affirmed on Sunday. If Gaming scratches, which is likely, then it’s a 3 horse field …heavy fave will be the horse who beat him two back, Nevada Beach
Betsy, I think you are a little too harsh sometimes. Ha ha Romeo is not bred to be a precocious two year old speedster winning 5 – 6 furlong races.
Nonetheless, Romeo is stakes placed in only his second race which is a fillip for Honor A. P. as a sire. I hope Heart of Honor, A. P. Kid and Rank all perform well.
Maybe sometimes – but that’s because HAP is barely hanging on at Lane’s End. His 2nd crop is smaller than his first, and his next two foal crops will be incredibly tiny – he was bred to only 39 mares each. That means that he will likely only have MAYBE 10-15 2 year olds in 2026/7, which means very few runners in the years immediately after that. There’s no way that HAP can survive with those numbers. Hence, I’m exceedingly disappointed when his runners, who I expect to run well, don’t
In this case, Romeo was just bad. He was precocious enough to win his debut by 10 in solid time – so no excuse there. And of HAP’s 3 SW, 2 of them were 2 year olds…Glee & Hollywood Beauty. Glee won her debut at 4 1/2 F, HB at 5F…and neither have trained on
You’d be surprised at how few HAPs have won going long…
I’m not saying Romeo won’t eventually be good, but he was bad today …and someone had to finish 3rd in a 5 horse field
The weather is going to suck on/before Saturday, so assuming a a soft/yielding turf course, I have no idea what to expect of APK. On a firm course, even though he is facing much classier competition, I think he’ll run well
Heart is a total unknown on a sloppy track. On a fast track, he’ll out in his usual highest effort – I know that. He’s getting a break after this, so no chance for him to help HAP
Rank ? No idea – he’ll either run lights out or he’ll finish a distant 3rd
With his recent win at Churchill, Patch Adams may have regained the form he displayed in his maiden win back in November. He was all the talk, going 7 furlongs, in 1:20.77, drawing off by 10 open lengths. He disappointed in his next two starts, (Southwest & Tampa Bay Derby) but looked very impressive in a $125K OC race, on Derby Day, at Chruchill, going 6 1/2 furlongs, in 1:15.69, earning an Equibase Speed figure of 106.
With prospect of rain on Saturday, this could bode well for Patch Adams.
I’ll go with Patch Adams for the win in the G1 Woody Stephens, at 7 furlongs.
Patch Adams looks like a player in a very tough race. Favored Chancer McPatrick is 4-1 on the ML which screams “wide open!”
Steve, how you are able to connect all these intertwining threads into one coherent article of possible anticipations makes the build up for the Belmont Stakes even more enthralling. I fear one day you may retire your interest and there will go half the fun of racing for so many.
Although many are hoping for a Journalist, Sovereignty battle royale my hopes are for Baeza and Heart of Honor to fill the major placings. What I fear the most is another wet track it just ruins dirt racing especially on the big days.
I can’t remember but you would know for sure have any owners won the Epsom Derby and Belmont Stakes on the same day. Godolphine has a very good chance of pulling this off with Ruling Court and Sovereignty respectively. Moreover, should Ruling Court win the Epsom Derby that would provide Justify with another son taking the English Classic.
Even better, Godolphine has the Oaks favourite on Friday, Desert Flower, to wave a tricolour should they are triumph in the three Classics. We are not dreaming here they are right in it. What a day or two to remember.
Alas, for Godolphine, I believe Whirl will deny them the Oaks, Delacroix will overbrush their hopes for another Epsom Derby while Sovereignty will not reign at Saratoga in the Belmont Stakes.
Should Delacroix win the Epsom Derby what a place in history Tepin will be placed but these are just pipe dreams at present. The events are yet to unfold. Enjoy the racing.
Of course the Belmont is the big race, but the Woody Stevens is by far the most intriguing race for 3YOs from a betting angle. Almost every horse in the race was on the Triple Crown trail at one point. Do middle-distance horses like Madaket Road and Chancer McPatrick have a chance? And what happened to Owen Almighty and Burnham Square, who were supposed to be on hand for this?
My pick is Colloquial, but any one of these can win. Interested to hear the strategies of others on this site.
Ms Blacktype, Bob Baffert might have a fruitful day on Saturday depending on how Saratoga plays and depending on the weather. I like Madaket Road in the Woody Stephens.
Last I looked, Burnham Square is entered in the Matt Winn Stakes. A bunch of Derby horses in there cutting back.
The weather is not looking rosy for Saturday. It could very well be a sealed sloppy track.
Sovereignty has won twice at CD and once at GP. His first maiden race at SAR was not his best. Will be closely observing the dirt races prior to the Belmont Stakes. Sloppy, or fast, we should have a good idea by the 13th race.
I think this race falls between Sovereignty and Baeza—Rodriguez had the quarter Crack and Journalism had the rough Preakness, Sovereignty and Baeza look solid—I like a horse on the undercard, and there’s no way I will bet against Journalism—so I’ll probably just watch—if I’m playing with track money—I might put up a wager on J—but this is not the time to wager on him, not at 2-1….it’s a 5-day carnival, with many opportunities, to find a good bet—
Matthew, can you remember but wasn’t Saratoga extremely speed biased at this meet last year. Saratoga is inevitably a speed favoring track but more so when fresh. Thanks, if you can recall.
Hope it doesn’t rain. Fingers crossed and best of luck.
The rains tend to break along the Hudson and Mohawk River. But for locals, Tuesday is a bit soon for solid predictions.
Thanks Angela, fingers crossed for sunny day. Not too hot though. Ha ha
David’s I’m not sure …good horses with speed can win anywhere, National Treasure did–Dornoxh too…..but ten furlongs—even out west in the 70s—was a distance that separated the horses—I just would like a dry surface—I’m reading wet—McCarthy was praising the track crew, after last Saturday’s heavy rains—they had the track perfect, for his big boy….
Thanks Matthew, everywhere I look they are forecasting rain. Wet tracks, speed tends to carry. I’m not high on Rodriguez but a wet track makes him look dangerous.
Getting that foot bruise might have been a blessing—Rod is a very nice colt! A late foal—his two wins were blowouts—-in the Gr2 Wood Memorial and a five length win over Baeza—-horse has big upside….
Matthew, make sure you watch the YouTube footage mentioned above. Clear shots of the horses close up.
Search for ‘Sovereignty, Journalism Train Ahead of Rematch at Saratoga for the 2025 Belmont Stakes’
I know it’s not Belmont…..and this cannot be 12 furlongs—but I LOVE this 5-day Saratoga carnival!—Belmont will return at Belmont—so this is it….Saratoga looks like a money drain…$90 just to walk in….Frank Miramahdi said when he first walked into Saratoge—the history of the place was overwhelming—I love places like that—if I ever went to Saratoga I would look at the trees, that shaded so many greats, of the sport, horse and human….then I’d find my friend who owes me $45, for my $10 win bet on Ancient Title.!….
$90 isn’t much for a triple crown day, compare it to the Churchill Downs or Pimlico on their big days and it’s a bargain. Normal day is $10 I think, but you have to pay extra for a seat.
I’d pay the $90—it’s The Belmont, and a good one….my greatest deal was the 2022 Pacific Classic—saw Flightline run his 19 length race—took a close pictures of him….yelled YEAH HOO”, as he ran by, and Prat turned towards me—$8 general admission, it was extremely hot—and I got a free $40 seat!..
That’s pretty good. I know when I checked Aqueduct and the Wood Memorial a year ago, general admission was free, I was surprised.
Same at Santa Anita, for the last few times I went…free parking too….but Breeders Cup was $45 last tilme a few years ago…
That’s quite a story. Even better because it’s real. Puca is an amazing Dam. Boat in a Moat is a great name for a horse.
I can’t help but wonder if Jerry Crawford and Paul Pompa were on speaking terms after that bidding war.
As far as this year’s Belmont goes, I think that Baeza has a real chance. It would be easy to write him off as just a Maiden winner. But he is a May foal. Mid-May as it turns out. And he is improving with every start. Just look at that rising BSF pattern. It’s a thing of beauty. He pushed Journalism in the Santa Anita Derby and was coming hard at him in the Derby after breaking from the extreme outside gate. Big Brown also ran very well from the outside post in his Derby.
Baeza shows 3 works since the Derby. The last 2 very solid. I feel like Baeza is the bet in the Belmont. But I’m obligated to stay with Sovereignty who keyed my biggest score on the races ever. But I will be using Baeza and Sovereignty in all multi-race wagers, along with an exacta box on those two.
I wouldn’t be surprised if any of the “big-3” were to win on Saturday. But very shocked if any of the other five comes out on top.
I would give Hill Road a look if it was a mile and a half Belmont at Belmont. But at a mile and a quarter at Saratoga, it will be Sovereignty and Baeza for me knowing that they have Journalism to beat.
Good Cheer is 1-2 on Friday. Another big weekend for Godolphin? East Avenue is entered at Churchill on Sunday.
Godolphine’s 2,000 Guineas winner, Ruling Court, is the second favorite for the Epsom Derby which is run this Saturday. Should Ruling Court win the Epsom Derby, Justify will have sired two Epsom Derby winners in a row.
Rain is in the forecast for Saratoga on Saturday. Which is usual this Triple Crown Season.
Maybe it doesn’t happen. Things can change fast up there.
I would still like one of the “big-3” regardless of weather. But Todd Pletcher’s Uncaged is at least a little bit interesting if it is wet. Uncaged has won 2 of 4 races. Both wins over muddy tracks. He has been nowhere close in his 2 losses on fast tracks. I see Smart Strike in his pedigree. Which explains everything.
You wove the story like a spell, Steve. Thank you!
Puca has a new kind of staying power, doesn’t she? The name… the Puca are some of the most ancient of the faerie folk in Ireland. They are shapeshifters often seen in the form of a black horse: full of mischief – benevolent or otherwise. “Puck,” or Robin Goodfellow, is a related faerie spirit borrowed by Shakespeare for AMSND from English myth. Is Puca’s name prophetic? Is that how she has been doing this, joining us on the Derby Trail for 3 years straight? It has to be a family of benevolent shapeshifters.
If anyone asked me about naming her ‘25 filly by Good Magic, I’d respectfully suggest “Perennial Magic.” (I have now thrown a pinch of salt over my left shoulder aimed for the devil’s eye to keep it from being a jinx to even type it.)
Better Than Honour. Just wanted to see HER name since we are talking matriarchs and The Belmont.
Every horse story has a sad storyline. I truly hope that Rocktheboat found a soft landing. $500 at a public auction is pretty ominous. That said, I have 3 horses I paid a total of $1 for living here right now, and they seem to be enjoying themselves. Hope for the best.
That’s great Information about Puca and Puck. Never thought about that. Thank you if Casino Drive hadn’t gotten hurt Belmont week Better Than Honour would have had three consecutive Belmont winners. I have written about her. Incredible.
I remember! I would frequently read your Bloodhorse articles to help stay awake when I was doing meds on overnight shifts for hospitalized cases back in those days. Many trips down memory lane, some good and some sad. Casino Drive’s scratch was such a disappointment. That entire Belmont was a major head scratcher in a rough set of Classics.
By the way, I was down the Better Than Honour rabbit hole, and saw the Spendthrift stallion ad for the ever-handsome Greatest Honour. In the bullet points under his conformation shot is a line that reads: “Rated No. 1 on Steve Haskin’s 2021 Kentucky Derby rankings for six straight weeks.” I just loved seeing that! Your endorsement proudly displayed by the ad team at the intersection of racing and breeding! Your fingerprints are on horse racing, top to bottom.
Katy, wonderful post. I too enjoy twisting the mystical into a horse’s name as it just adds to the glory of thoroughbred racing. Best In Show has had an incredible influence around the world, a favorite family. Inevitability, imposing horses with no distance limitations.
Katy, there are several good posters here, but if Steve ever gives this up, you’re on deck. Nice writing.
Todd, you literally brought tears to my eyes and did my heart so much good with your comment. Very, very humbly, thank you.
I am so glad to be allowed to be a part of this group. Steve, you are one of my heroes. Being able to interact with you and this community of posters is a huge source of enjoyment.
Here’s to keeping this going for a long time!
Omg Steve this Baeza article is amazing thank u ! What a finish to the triple crown thanks for all your hard work week after week since January making the triple crown so much more fun 🐎🐎🙏
I appreciate it Nick. Thank you.
Great outside draw PP 7 for Journalism In the Belmont. Let’s see how from PP2 Sovereignty likes being bottled up on the inside. Great outside PP6 draw for Baeza. IMO Journalism or Baeza wins the Belmont.
That’s an aggressive comment. In reply, I’ll predict, Sovereignty will save ground and not get bottled up. Journalism had one of the best posts in the Derby, and still managed to make a disadvantage out of it.
One can only dream to own a horse such as Journalism that manages to make a disadvantage out of races….
We shall see Discopartner. No excuses for Journalism From PP7 in an 8 horse field to be bottled up on the inside. As far as the KY Derby goes, your right, Journalism did have a good PP, but he was quickly shuffled back to mid pack when Citizen Bull came over and pushed several horses closing the gap that was briefly open for him. I know you prefer Sovereignty, which is ok, he ran a great KY Derby. However, I believe, even on the short rest, Journalism finishes ahead of him. Baeza IMO is the other prime win candidate other than Journalism. We will find out on SAT. If Sovereignty wins, I’ll give him credit and a tip of my cap. Only using Journalism and Baeza in my multi race wagers.
HAHA Umberto will find a way to get into trouble just like he did with this horse the last three races on him.
typo: horse’s
You know that how?
Some thing big mouths don’t know, called watching the races very carefully and reading all the charts and there are many sites that break down the races.
Thanks for your input.
Seriously?
Seems that would apply when you stated I had a “mental block” regarding my comment BB’s horse had no shot to prevail in Derby. Regarding charts, Beyers, voodoo dolls etc I singled Coal Battle for $500 in Rebel on the premise ONLY I liked his works. Please!
Thats not true, Angry Gambler…
Dominic, I did single him.
I could make a joke and say I heard the jockey on Heart of Honor was going to go left out of the gate. But there’s no doubt Journalism is good, and I believe Baeza is unproven. Closing horses have been known to do what he did in the Derby, without particularly winning in follow up races. Sovereignty has been training on the dull Oklahoma track, not the main track where Journalism went, something to know when comparing work times. I’m not a big Sovereignty fan, I picked Tiztastic in the Derby because I figured a closer would win, and Coal Battle because I like him, but added Sov. and Journ. to exotic wagers. But then Sovereignty impressed me and looked powerful in the stretch while the others did not. Power, muscles, could be the difference. I’m just not a fan of the best ones this year, and I’m hoping for a Crudo/Hill Road exacta. Living here in beautiful Belmont, MA I go for east coast horses a lot. Thanks for your kinder reply than my initial reply was to you.
Flew into Boston, last year for vacation.Staying in Freeport Maine later this month. Enjoy east coast vacations,however not a fan of snow,so winter there is out.
Acadia National Park, off Bar Harbor, is beautiful, if you have time to go, it’s north of Freeport which happens to be LL Bean’s base. The coast and Hwy. 1 are busy in the summer, which starts after Mem. day, will be less busy during the week. Maine gets visitors from the entire northeast, Ogunquit and southern Maine is only 1 hour from Boston.
Thanks for that. Several yrs ago flew into Bangor, rented car and stayed there at Bar H. Amazing! Also, intriguing when hearing water remains cold in Maine until August. Visited Old Orchard Beach years ago.
Great article, Steve. You’re the master at weaving all the threads into a magnificent tapestry. This story will add yet another element of excitement to this year’s Belmont. One wonders what the field would be if the race was the true Belmont at 1 1/2 miles……
Thanks very much. I’m not sure Rodriguez would have run.
Stories like this make this sport worth following. Thank you Steve for sharing.
Although, I am rooting for Journalism to win….I would be thrilled if Baeza completes the exacta.
Hello Zany! Looking for Baeza to run well. Like his post.
I cannot remember a better Belmont—1997 had three good contenders—2025 has four, and Hill Road makes five—Baeza could be sitting 3rd—John has him good—Sovereignty looks pristine, and Journalism looked incredible, the other day—a SoCal clocker I know thinks Rodriguez is going to win—and he’s no dreamer, he watches them train…..until I saw J work—I thought Sovereignty and Baeza were the exacta—I’m now rooting for Journalism (always)….now am betting on him, I think he is special..
Rags to Riches, Curlin, Tiago, Hard Spun in 2007 looks better to me going into the Belmont Stakes and then the rest is history coming out of the Belmont Stakes.
2007 dwarfs the above 4 in 2025.
Your opinion. This year looks strong, my opinion.
Agreed – although this year is strong (but I think the hype on a couple of horses is over the top)
Betsy, I wish it was at the traditional 12f, Heart of Honor would better suited at the distance but you never know.
Have you picked your Epsom Derby and Oaks horses yet? How is the holiday going? Where are you now.
David, yeah – but there’s no point in wishing for what can’t be. 10F should still be up his alley…it’s just a matter of if he’s good enough to run well. Looks like it could be a sloppy track …ugh
And that would disappoint me also because while the Pennine Ridge came up extremely tough, I’m looking forward to seeing AP Kid run again…but the turf could come up yielding or the race could even be taken off.
Saratoga is awesome, but the weather sucks
I haven even looked, TBH…but I’ll be happy if any Wootton Basset wins!
Is the Oaks on Saturday and Derby on Sunday? I’ll likely be able to watch the Oaks, but I’ll be traveling to Edinburgh on Sunday, so I think the Derby is out
It’s going great! I’m in Knaresborough now, about 30 minutes my train outside of York. York is fantastic – I really love it. My few days in the Lake District were brilliant – most incredibly beautiful place I’ve ever been
I’m off to Edinburgh on Sunday for 5 nights, back to Knaresborough for 2, then to London for 1 night before heading to Paris …!
Who do you like for the Oaks & Derby?
Betsy, the Oaks is on Friday, expected rain, I like the Wootton Bassett filly, Whirl.
The Epsom Derby is Saturday, also expected rain, I like Delacroix by Dubawi out of Tepin at this stage.
Your holidays sound fantastic, so happy for you.
Oh, so I may be able to watch – yay!
Thank you so much!!! It’s been wonderful – now, just a few weeks left. I still have to fix my knapsack, lol
Davids, THAT was a fun day!
It was Katy, so memorable, and at the traditional 12f.
Rags is criminally underrated – and that Belmont was EPIC!!!
So many goodies in this piece, Steve! To think that it all began because a novice buyer was attracted to a filly simply because she was playful. Beautiful moment, and reminded me of the day my husband and I picked out an extraordinary cat who lived to be 17. She too was playful, and clearly had Jim’s number with a single look.
And I’m so glad you got hold of Janice Baeza. Sounds like she’s Braulio’s main caregiver and can be forgiven for not knowing about his famous namesake. I hope the two of them will catch the Belmont, even if only one of them will understand if the colt wins.
Yet another great thing about this story is that it made me realize how young Puca still is — only 13 this year. Her near antecedents may be modest, but she descends from two Reine-de-Course mares (Pimlico Oaks winner Alms, and Remembrance, a half sister to Borrow, the horse that defeated Regret and two other Kentucky Derby winners in the 1917 Brooklyn Handicap). Remembrance is a daughter of the unforgettable Forget, the dam of SIX stakes winners during the lean years between 1900 and 1915. Puca is likely to be designated Reine-des-Course herself soon.
Ms Blacktype, as always, your handle fits! Super post.
What’s your weather conjurer saying about rain up your way on Friday and Saturday? I sure do want to see this thing run on a dry track!
Hey Katy:
We’re watching the weather for Thursday and Friday, the only days we’re considering going. I like going to Saratoga when the track is less full but there are juicy races, like there are Thursday. Two races for 2YOs, including one stakes. Rain gets more and more likely the closer you get to Saturday. Downpours can occur at Saratoga anytime and likely will. At least it won’t be 100 degrees!
This was a great read, Steve. I enjoyed learning the origin of Puca’s name (always wondered about that) and loved hearing what April Mayberry had to say about May foals. I wish Braulio Baeza could fully enjoy what’s happening with this special horse. My heart is with Journalism, but if he can’t take the day, I hope Baeza does!
Nice story Steve, if only Baeza does what in my opinion he can do, we will all be talking about Puca for days. Can we say she could be called as the Triple crown Queen.
BTW Puca has a 2024 colt by Good Magic and we already know that Good Magic is the sire of Dornoch and Mage.
What a nice write up BAEZA and PUCA. I watched a lot of racers at AK-SAR-BEN and more at FONNER PARK. Thank you for all the stores on the great racing game. ROGER
Hi Steve,
You never fail to amaze with your brilliant writing. Your stories have made me a fan of all 3 horses. I’ll just box all 3 with Rodriguez and enjoy the outcome no matter what.
Best,
Hammer
Thank you Hammer.
Hello, Mr. Haskin. I was wondering if you had any information regarding the whereabouts of a racehorse named Tackleberry. He won the Gulfstream Park Mile in 2011, but there haven’t been any updates on him in many years, and I was wondering if maybe you knew what happened to him. Goblin over at Horse Racing Nation couldn’t find anything, and he or she recommended asking you. His profile on that site list his status as unknown. Any information would be greatly appreciated. He was a favorite of mine. Thanks in advance.
Thank you AI.
This is what I found:
“As of March 31, 2025, the racehorse Tackleberry, now named Loki, has retired and is thriving as an assistance dog and loyal companion.
Tackleberry, a gelding born in 2007, raced from 2010 to 2014, winning multiple stakes races including the Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2) in 2011. He was trained by Luis Olivares and raced at various tracks including Belmont Park, Calder Race Course, Charles Town, and Gulfstream Park.
Following his racing career, he has found a new calling as an assistance dog, a transformation highlighted by RaceQLD on Facebook. This represents a heartwarming second career for the former racehorse, providing companionship and assistance in his retirement. “
If I’m correct, this question was also posted during the Derby week and I replied, but got no reply on that.
An assistance “dog”? Surely that is a red flag as it sounds so odd. I looked it up, and the Tackleberry who is referred to above as an assistance dog is indeed an actual dog—a retired racing greyhound. The equine Tackleberry has no connection other than the same name. No news about him that I can find.
Thank you for the reply and clarification. It still seems that no one knows what happened to Tackleberry the horse.
Sorry for the late response; real life happened.
Great piece Steve, like Finding your Roots on PBS, BUT BETTER!
Puca’s great great great grandfather led the charge at the Battle of Saratoga.
This is a great story, and well-told, Steve. I’m one of many who has been mesmerized by the Puca story. I bought a few shares in her 2024 Good Magic colt through My Racehorse. When he gets to the track, he’ll be in Chad Brown’s barn. When I saw that he was avaiilable I jumped in, after having so much fun with Seize the Grey. Fingers crossed!
Summer Squal was the Derby Favorite—and ran 2nd, in Unbridled’s tremendous Derby (one of my favorites) . Squall returned to win The Preakness, something of a rarity today—beaten Derby favorites just don’t run in the Preakness anymore…..I remember Puca as a racer—I recall betting on her and getting paid well—because after that win–I continued betting on her…..her obscure beginnings only make me more interested, in her amazing story–a story I would have never known about—were it not for your earnest work, Steve—-I knew about Baeza, before he ever started racing…and was surprised to see him debut on turf—he was a longshot that day…..he isgoing to get bet down, Saturday—his rider Prat was always bet down, out here in SoCal…I was glad to see him go—because he beat me so often—now he gets bet down, in New York—Shirreffs mapped outa Belmont plan—he didn’t exactly have Derby plan—I can “see” him stalking in 3rd, getting first run—this is a good Belmont—the NY based Derby winner, vs a three-headed SoCal monster—not the first Cali threesome—1997 Belmont was a terrific battle, of three Cali based horses, including a Cal bred—but that race didn’t have the big NY horse—this race does!..
Tell me, Steve, were you a private investigator in your other life, lol? Wow! I mean you left no stone unturned in this fabulous account of Baeza and his dam, Puca. I was totally immersed in reading this article and thirsting for more as you told this story in your unique style. It’s a tale that we would be hard pressed to find anywhere else.
I was getting emotional when I got to the part about Braulio Baeza. It’s so sad that one of the sport’s greatest jockeys won’t be able to relate when watching the Belmont, or will he? I live in Assisted Living and many here have various degrees of dementia. I’ve found that some will remember events that took place early on in their lives. I hope that Braulio Baeza can experience the thrill of cheering for his namesake.
Great story, Steve. Thanks very much for sharing.
I really appreciate that Dewey. Thanks so much. It would be nice to have a larger audience but you can only write for those who read it.
No one brings stories to life as you do.
I love this story, maybe even more than I would ordinarily because I feel a kind of personal connection to it–Buckpasser is my all-time favorite racehorse, so Braulio Baeza is someone special to me, given how he rode Buckpasser and so masterfully timed that horse’s winning moves.
And, through MyRacehorse, I now own a miniscule piece of Puca’s yearling full brother to Mage and Dornoch. So as much as I truly admire Journalism–I think he’s something very special–I will be rooting for Baeza in the Belmont!
Steve, enjoyable and informative as always! He’s my favorite colt that had me on the edge of my seat all Derby week and yelling for a longer stretch in the race. I’m 100%
behind him this Saturday and expect his redemption! Thank you
He would never have passed Sovereignty. Lots of horses ride up at the end, they don’t get the winner’s check or the trophy or their name in the winner’s record book.
So, what’s your point?
My point is, he’s a maiden winner, being treated like he’s a stakes winner, I don’t think he deserves that yet.
Its a story. No one forced you to read it.
I was responding to someone in my first post, he wrote he was yelling for a longer stretch in the Derby, maybe I over reacted.
Question is…had he been in front of Sovereignty….would HE have been passed….
Everybody can write about a horse, when they are proven…. Steve spots them early–the story wasnot about Baeza—the story was about Puca, and its a beautiful story, about a mare that came from sparsebeginnings, in her recent family lineage, and has developed into an incredible broodmare……