Belmont Stakes Notebook: McCarthy Feels Right at Home in Pletcher’s Barn

[Wandering Eyes]

SARATIOGA SPRINGS–One thing trainer Michael McCarthy didn't have to worry about as he planned his trip to Saratoga Race Course was lodging. For his horses, anyway.

When McCarthy shipped GI Belmont Stakes favorite Journalism (Curlin) and two other stakes horses to the Spa, he knew right where they were going. That would be the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who McCarthy worked for as an assistant for nearly 12 years before going out on his own in 2014.

“I was a slow learner,” McCarthy said with a laugh.

Pletcher gladly opened the barn door on the Oklahoma Training Track for his friend. Besides Journalism, McCarthy's Look Forward (Bolt d'Oro), who is entered in the GI Acorn Stakes and Endlessly (Oscar Performance), who will go in the GI Manhattan Stakes. All the races are on Saturday.

“We have done this before,” Pletcher said. “When Locked (Gun Runner) went to the Santa Anita Handicap, we shipped into his barn. He has had horses ship in here other times, and I have had horses in California. We send our staff out there and his staff comes here with his horses. Makes it a lot easier on everyone.”

“I am very familiar with those surroundings,” McCarthy said of being back in Pletcher's barn. “I spent a couple seasons up here during my tenure with Todd. He has been gracious enough every time we have come to New York to be able to house us.”

Accommodations through the Spa City and beyond are pricey for the public during Belmont week, but Pletcher came up with a special rate for McCarthy's four-legged travel partners.

“Yeah,” he said. “Free!”

McCarthy is hoping for better results during this trip to Saratoga.

In the past, he has brought Grade I runners to the Spa with high expectations and left disappointed. City of Light (Quality Road) was second in the GI Forego in 2018; hat was McCarthy's first horse he saddled at Saratoga as a head trainer.

He also brought Ce Ce (Elusive Quality), who was fifth in the GI Ballerina in 2022 and Clearly Unhinged (Into Mischief), second in the GI Test in 2023. According to Equibase, McCarthy has started 11 horses at Saratoga without a winner.

“Hopefully, we will find the winner's circle here, and, hopefully, it will be Saturday,” McCarthy said. “This might be the hardest place in America to win at.”

 

Baeza Has A Hall Of Fame Name

If the name of GI Belmont Stakes runner Baeza (Justify) sounds familiar, it is.

The colt, trained by John Shirreffs, was named in honor of Hall of Fame jockey Braulio Baeza, who won the Belmont three times during his riding career, which started in 1955 and ended in 1976.

“Of course he is,” Shirreffs said when asked if Baeza the horse was named for Baeza the jockey. “One of his owners, Lee Searing (majority owner, C R K Stable LLC), really likes jockeys. He is a jockey guy.”

Grandview Equine shares ownership in the horse.

Shirreffs is delighted that his stable star has this racing moniker. When Shirreffs was working in New York, he became friendly with Baeza, who was long retired but still wanted to be around the thoroughbreds.

He and Shirreffs became friendly, and the former rider would walk horses for him when the trainer was spending time at Belmont Park.

“He just wanted to be involved because he loved horses,” Shirreffs said. “I really, really enjoyed my time with Braulio Baeza.”

Braulio Baeza, who is now 85 years old, had 14 mounts during his career in the Belmont. In 1963, he rode Chateaugay (Swaps) to victories in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont and was second in the Preakness.

Baeza, the horse, comes into the Belmont after finishing third –just a neck behind second place finisher Journalism, in the Derby.

Before that, he was second in the GI Santa Anita Derby, losing to Journalism by three quarters of a length. Shirreffs thought enough of Baeza to enter him in the Santa Anita Derby after he broke his maiden in his third try.

He returned to California after the Kentucky Derby and shipped to Saratoga last week. There was not much talk about running him in the GI Preakness.

“I skipped the Preakness mostly because he is a May 13 foal,” Shirreffs said. “He is very young, and I trained him very hard for the Santa Anita Derby and the Kentucky Derby was a big, emotional race. Bringing him back in two weeks (for the Preakness) would have been asking too much for a somewhat immature, lightly raced horse.”

 

Brown Coming In Under The Radar This Time

A year ago, trainer Chad Brown had the favorite for the GI Belmont Stakes in Sierra Leone (Gun Runner). He finished third.

Brown is back for this year's Belmont, but 'TDN Rising Star' Hill Road (Quality Road) isn't attracting the same kind of attention that Sierra Leone did.

Hill Road | Sarah Andrew

The winner of the GIII Peter Pan Stakes, who is owned by Amo Racing USA, Hill Road is 10-1 on the Belmont morning line, the fifth choice in the field of eight.

Brown isn't detoured by that.

He saw enough talent in Hill Road's rallying three quarters of a length victory in the 11/8-mile Peter Pan on May 10 to move forward.

“I am going to try [for the upset],” Brown said. “I had the favorite last year, and it didn't work.”

Hill Road began his career on the turf for trainer Adrian Murray in Ireland, and, after two starts, came to the United States and switched to dirt in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. After Hill Road finished third, he came to Brown, a five-time Eclipse Award winning trainer.

Following a third-place finish in the GIII Tampa Bay Derby, Brown hoped to run the colt in the GII Wood Memorial. A fever scrapped that plan and bounced him off the GI Kentucky Derby trail.

Now, here he is.

“Every month that went by, he continued to move forward and get stronger and get fitter,” Brown said. “Right now, I think he is peaking.”

When Brown first started working with Hill Road, one thing he noticed was the horse did not change leads.

“That has always been him,” Brown said. “He moves forward pretty good.”

It happened in the Peter Pan, but Hill Road still got the job done with a strong kick.

With the Belmont being run at 1 1/4 miles at Saratoga, Brown is confident that could be right in Hope Road's wheelhouse.

“He galloped out big [in the Peter Pan],” Brown said. “The thing that gives me the most hope with this horse is the distance of the race. But he is not going to have an easier race because he can get the distance. Many in this race can.”

The last Peter Pan winner to come back and take the Belmont was Arcangelo (Arrogate), who won in 2023 at Belmont Park at 1 1/2 miles.

Antiquarian (Preservationist), the 2024 Peter Pan winner, finished fifth in last year's Belmont.

 

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