Breeders' Cup Classic; Journalism, Baeza each put in works at Santa Anita
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Baeza and Journalism, two of the nation’s leading 3-year-olds, had workouts at Santa Anita on Friday for the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 1.
Baeza, winner of the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing in his last start on Sept. 20, worked five furlongs in 59 seconds, the second-fastest of 33 recorded works at the distance.
“I was a little surprised,” trainer John Shirreffs said of the time. “We wanted a nice workout.”
Jockey Hector Berrios was aboard for the workout. Shirreffs said that Baeza worked in company with a stablemate.
“It was all about pace, getting him back to racing speed,” Shirreffs said.
Owned by Lee and Susan Searing’s CRK Stables, Baeza has won 2 of 8 starts and earned $1,503,500. Prior to the Pennsylvania Derby, Baeza was second to division leader Sovereignty in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga on July 26.
In the spring, Beaza was third behind Sovereignty and Journalism in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes at 1 1/4 miles.
Journalism worked a half-mile in 49 seconds at Santa Anita on Friday, his fourth workout since a second by 3 1/4 lengths to Fierceness in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles at Del Mar on Aug. 30 his debut against older horses.
Trained by Michael McCarthy, Journalism’s recent workouts since the Pacific Classic have been at a half-mile or five furlongs.
“He went by himself, a strong gallop-out,” said Aron Wellman, the managing partner of Eclipse Thoroughbreds, which co-owns Journalism.
“This is the longest space he’s had all year between races. I don’t think we needed anything too serious before the Breeders’ Cup.”
Fierceness, trained by Todd Pletcher, is among several contenders for the BC Classic, which is run at 1 1/4 miles.
Fierceness was second in the 2024 BC Classic at Del Mar. The race was won by Sierra Leone, with Forever Young of Japan finishing third. They are expected to start next month.
“I think it looks like it will be a very tough race,” Shirreffs said. “I think the Classic is loaded with nice horses.”
In other Breeders’ Cup-related works at Santa Anita on Friday, the unbeaten 2-year-old colt Brant worked six furlongs in 1:11.80 for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at 1 1/16 miles on Oct. 31, a new distance for a colt bought for $3 million at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale of 2-year-olds in-training in Florida in March. Trained by Bob Baffert, Brant won the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs on Sept. 7.
The Baffert-trained Imagination, who secured a berth to the BC Sprint at six furlongs on Nov. 1 with a win in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Sept. 28, worked a half-mile in 49.20 seconds.
Hey Nay Nay, unbeaten in three starts, worked five furlongs in 1:00 in preparation for the BC Juvenile Turf at a mile on Oct. 31. Hey Nay Nay won the Grade 3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf on Sept. 6 in his last start for trainer John Sadler.
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