Kentucky Derby 2025: Baeza looks to leap from maiden victory to Santa Anita Derby

Though few 3-year-olds transition successfully from maiden victory to Grade 1, few have as much natural ability and pedigree power as Baeza. The well-bred colt’s dominating maiden route victory Feb. 14 at Santa Anita stamps him as a legitimate contender in the Santa Anita Derby on April 5.

John Shirreffs trains Baeza, whose win earned a 93 Beyer Speed Figure and a shot at a Grade 1. Baeza exited the maiden race in good shape, and Shirreffs is optimistic that the next five weeks will go as planned. He confirmed that the Santa Anita Derby will be the colt’s next scheduled start if all goes well.

“It’s always about the training – how he’s handling it, how he’s eating, how he’s doing on the racetrack, where he’s at mentally,” Shirreffs said. “Physically, he’s got the talent, and he’s got the class. His whole family screams class. He’s got a lot going for him.

“He came out of the race really well. He’s that kind of horse. I think because he’s a distance horse, he doesn’t use himself up in a race. Distance seems to be what he loves.”

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Baeza, sired by McKinzie, is a sibling to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage and 2024 Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch. Baeza is owned by Lee and Susan Searing’s CRK Stable and breeder Grandview Equine.

The colt’s maiden win continued his upward pattern. Ninth in his debut on turf, Baeza added blinkers and finished second in a highly rated dirt route next out. He put it all together the third time out, pressing the pace and kicking away by 4 3/4 lengths.

Jockey Hector Berrios was animated after the win, especially while talking about the colt’s fluid action.

“His stride is nice,” Berrios said, emphasizing the word. “He’s a little green. I touched him one time with the whip, but he [did not] like it. He started to zig-zag.”

When Berrios tapped Baeza once inside the eighth pole, the colt ducked in sharply before he straightened out and won clear. Named after retired Hall of Fame jockey Braulio Baeza, the colt already is more advanced than his Derby-winning sibling Mage was at this stage.

As of March 2023, Mage had started just twice. He won a debut sprint and finished fourth in the Fountain of Youth. After running second in the Florida Derby, Mage won the Kentucky Derby in his fourth start.

Baeza already has three routes, and his 93 Beyer is higher than Mage had earned at this stage. A $1.2 million yearling, Baeza opens at 50-1 on Derby Watch. That price will drop considerably if he runs as expected in the Santa Anita Derby.

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