Belmont Stakes Notebook: Having The Derby Winner Makes For A Popular Barn

[Wandering Eyes]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.–As soon as Sovereignty (Into Mischief) crossed the finish line first in the GI Kentucky Derby, life changed for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

When you have the horse that wins the most famous race in America, the barn has a superstar in it.

“The Derby winner is always held in high regard,” Mott said outside of his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track. “There are always a lot of people who want to see him. They want to see him train, the want to see him after the race.”

Mott had won the Derby before, but, in 2019, his Country House (Lookin At Lucky) was awarded the victory after the disqualification of Maximum Security (New Year's Day). He went off at odds of 65-1.

After watching Sovereignty outrun Journalism (Curlin) at Churchill Downs five weeks ago, Mott was not going to try to compare the win to 2019.

“It was very gratifying,” he said of this year's Derby. “But I can tell you we had a heckuva lot of fun winning the first one the way it was. We were thrilled. We loved Country House. He did a great job and ran a good race. We all celebrated and felt pretty good about it.”

Mott never hesitated when it came to Sovereignty and the GI Preakness Stakes. He and Godolphin LLC, which owns the colt, made a quick decision and skipped the Preakness and a chance for the Triple Crown.

He wanted to give his horse plenty of time between the Kentucky Derby and the GI Belmont Stakes. That time has come and gone and here is Sovereignty, fresh and rested.

Sovereignty will be making his seventh career start in the Belmont.

Mott showed how confident he was in the colt's ability at an early stage. After starting his career with a fourth-place finish in a maiden at Saratoga last August, he was second a month later in another maiden at Aqueduct.

Mott saw big things in Sovereignty's future.

“Every race he has run in, he has shown up,” Mott said. “Even in the maiden races, when he was beat–they were sprint races, and he was closing well–it propelled us into running as a maiden in a stake down at Churchill Downs.”

That was the GIII Street Sense, and he won by five lengths as the favorite.

In three starts this year, he won the GII Fountain of Youth by a neck and then was second in the GI Florida Derby.

That race set him up for the Run for the Roses.

“I'm not going to make any excuses for him in the Florida Derby,” Mott said. “That horse (Tappan Street) outran him, opened up on him on the turn. We were slowly getting to him approaching the wire, but not fast enough to get there. It got us just right for the (Kentucky) Derby day.”

Baeza | Sarah Andrew

Baeza Began His Career On The Grass

Trainer John Shirreffs never really thought that his GI Belmont Stakes runner Baeza (McKinzie) was going to have a career on turf. But that is where the colt, owned by C R K Stable LLC and Grandview Equine, started his racing life.

Last Dec. 1, Baeza made his first start on the grass at Del Mar. He ran a mile, didn't do much, and finished ninth in a field of 11.

“It was getting towards the end of the Del Mar meet and there was a space between Del Mar and Santa Anita,” Shirreffs said as he watched Baeza graze in the barn area of the Oklahoma Training Track. “It was really important to get a race into him as soon as possible.”

Shirreffs said he chose the grass because the horse did not have to be at his optimum fitness level.

“It just gave us an opportunity to see what we had,” Shirreffs said.

Of course, Baeza has made strides since running on the main track. After breaking his maiden in the second try on dirt, he was second in the GI Santa Anita Derby and third in the GI Kentucky Derby. And he was only beat a neck in Louisville by Journalism (Curlin), who was 1 1/2 lengths behind Sovereignty.

They are all meeting here in the Belmont; the first time since 2013 that the top three finishers from the Kentucky Derby have hooked up in the final leg of the Triple Crown.

Baeza will be the first horse Shirreffs starts in Saratoga since 2015 when he spent the summer here. His last starter was in Sept. 3, 2015; his last win came with Smart Transition (Smart Strike), who took the Curlin Stakes and then finished sixth in the GI Travers Stakes.

Shirreffs has high hopes for Baeza, who is 4-1 on the Belmont morning line.

“I think the farther he goes, the better he gets,” Shirreffs said. “He doesn't seem like he has any distance limitations.”

Weather Outlook Has Improved For Saturday

The weather forecast for Belmont Day, dire at the start of the week, has improved significantly.

Paul Caino, the chief meteorologist for the local NBC affiliate, WNYT in Albany, said scattered thunderstorms, which were expected Friday night into Saturday, should mostly clear out by early afternoon.

“We could have rain and thunderstorms before lunch time,” Caino said. “We're not home free for the rest of the day. Between 1 and 4, there could be some scattered storms. I don't think there will be a lot of rain, but I'm not going to rule it out.”

Caino said the sun could make an appearance in late afternoon and, by the time the GI Belmont Stakes goes to post at 7:04 p.m., there should be no chance of rain.

The GI Kentucky Derby, won by Sovereignty (Into Mischief), was run over a sloppy track at Churchill Downs. The GI Preakness, won by Journalism (Curlin), was contested on a fast track at Pimlico Race Course.

“It is what it,” said Michael McCarthy, Journalism's trainer. “We are here, he is running.”

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