Hollywood Park: New Year's Day eyes Kentucky Derby preps

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - New Year’s Day, the winner of the BC Juvenile, will not race again this year, trainer Bob Baffert said.

“I’ll freshen him up,” Baffert said. “I want to have him ready for the classics.”

New Year’s Day won his stakes debut in the BC Juvenile, closing from eighth in a field of 13 to catch 5-2 favorite Havana in the final furlong. New Year’s Day won the race over 1 1/16 miles by 1 1/4 lengths. Owned by Gary and Mary West, New Year’s Day beat maidens Aug. 31 at Del Mar in his second start, having finished third there in his debut on Aug. 17.

Baffert said he plans to skip the $750,000 CashCall Futurity at Betfair Hollywood Park on Dec. 14 with New Year’s Day and point for the 2014 season.

“They have a true Derby horse,” Baffert said of the Wests. “They want to have fun. They want to get to the Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont. You’ve got to pick your spots.”

It is not clear when New Year’s Day will make his 3-year-old debut. Santa Anita has not released the stakes schedule for its winter-spring meeting, which begins on Dec. 26.