Skinner moved to DeVaux barn for Fair Grounds meet

ARCADIA, Calif. – Skinner, a Grade 3 winner poised to emerge as a major player in the winter handicap division at Santa Anita, has been transferred from California trainer John Shirreffs to Midwest trainer Cherie DeVaux.

Owner Lee Searing confirmed the move on Wednesday. Skinner won the Native Diver in his most recent start Nov. 23 at Del Mar, and was nominated to the Grade 2 Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita. But the next start for Skinner is expected to be at Fair Grounds.

California-based Searing and his wife Susan have campaigned their CRK Stable runners in California for decades, but the current environment is tough. Searing cited higher purses and racing opportunities at Midwest tracks as incentive to race outside California.

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“When California gets its act together, I’ll be the first guy back here,” he said. “I’ve moved about 50 percent of my horses out of California.” Those include stakes winner Justique and stakes-placed Mc Vay, both now trained by DeVaux. Another handful of Searing-owned runners are in Kentucky with dual-circuit trainer Peter Eurton, who has stables in California and Kentucky.

Searing still has half his runners based in California including Grade 1 winner Express Train and 2-year-old maiden Baeza. A $1.2 million colt who is a sibling to Kentucky Derby winner Mage and Haskell-Belmont winner Dornoch, Baeza finished off the board in his Dec. 1 debut on turf.

As for Skinner, he will be considered for the Grade 3, $175,000 Louisiana Stakes on Jan. 18 at Fair Grounds as an early target. DeVaux declined comment except to confirm the plan to race Skinner at Fair Grounds.

Skinner would have been one of the favorites at Santa Anita in the $200,000 Pincay, a race that has fallen apart. Full Serrano, Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner nominated to the Pincay, sustained an unspecified setback and will be turned out. Others expected in the Pincay, previously called the San Antonio, include Express Train, graded stakes-placed Tarantino, and Lammas. Mixto and Katonah also are nominated.

Although his recent victory in the Native Diver was just the second of his career, Skinner always threatened to become an important horse. Grade 1-placed at age 2, Skinner finished a better-than-looked third in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby in 2023 and would have been a contender in the Kentucky Derby, had he not scratched.

A 4-year-old by Curlin, Skinner was off for nearly a year until his Nov. 1 runner-up comeback at Del Mar. With his subsequent win in the Native Diver, Skinner has won two races and $377,300 from 12 starts.

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