Barbara D. Livingston
Baeza joins a stable that also includes reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty. Baeza is expected to run mainly on the East Coast, but will be pointed to the Pacific Classic at Del Mar.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Baeza, third in the Kentucky Derby last May, will be transferred to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott following the death of trainer John Shirreffs last Thursday, majority owner Lee Searing said on Monday.
The decision, reached after consultation with co-owner Robert Clay’s Grandview Equine, gives Mott massive depth in the 4-year-old male division. Mott trains 2025 Horse of the Year Sovereignty, who won the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Travers Stakes last year.
Searing said there were three factors that led to the decision to send Baeza to Mott.