Corniche being freshened in Kentucky, with return to Baffert barn in California the plan

DEL MAR, Calif. – Corniche, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner and the leading candidate to be named the Eclipse Award winner as champion 2-year-old male, has been sent to WinStar Farm in Kentucky for a brief freshening, but the plan is for him to return to trainer Bob Baffert, said Marette Farrell, who purchased the colt for owners Speedway Stable.

“It’s time to give him a little bit of a break,” Farrell said Monday from Newmarket, England, where she was purchasing a mare. “Speedway likes to use WinStar for lay-ups. He can be turned out, graduate to a paddock, and they have a track, too. It’s important to get a break mentally. A change of scenery is good for all of us.”

Corniche was sent to Kentucky last Wednesday. After his time at WinStar, Farrell said he will return to Baffert’s barn at Santa Anita.

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Baffert is barred from Churchill Downs, including the next two Kentucky Derbies. If Corniche is to be pointed to the May 7 Derby, and if there is no change in Baffert’s status with Churchill Downs, Corniche will have to be moved to another trainer in order to accumulate qualifying points to earn a berth in the field. No points were awarded to Corniche for his wins in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the American Pharoah owing to Baffert’s status.

Speedway Stables is owned by Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner, both of whom live in Houston. Prior to Corniche, the best horses they had were Collected, the 2017 Pacific Classic winner, and Roadster, the 2019 Santa Anita Derby winner. Both were trained by Baffert.

“Peter wants to be loyal,” Farrell said. “Corniche won the Breeders’ Cup, and he’s a possible 2-year-old champion. No decisions have been made -- there hasn’t even been any talk about another trainer, or who he’d go to if he needs to go to another trainer. If the time comes that a decision needs to be made, if it needs to be that way, we’ll put our heads together and make a decision.”

Baffert on Monday said it was a good time to give Corniche a break, as he had no more races left this year and “he was starting to grow.”

“He can be turned out at WinStar, be a horse a little bit,” Baffert said.

Corniche, by Quality Road, was purchased as a 2-year-old in training in April in Ocala for $1.5 million. He has won all three of his starts, a debut against maidens during the summer at Del Mar, followed by the Grade 1 victories in the American Pharoah at Santa Anita and the BC Juvenile at Del Mar.

- additional reporting by Steve Andersen