Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Shirreffs More Than Comfortable Having Berrios Back on Baeza

[Wandering Eyes]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When he found out he was going to need a new jockey, John Shirreffs didn't blink. He knew who was going to ride Baeza (McKinzie) in Saturday's $500,000 GII Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. And the jockey isn't all that new, not to Baeza.

Baeza will be reunited with California-based Hector Berrios when he steps on the track to take on GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief) and three others in the 1 1/8-mile traditional prep for the Aug. 23 GI Travers Stakes.

Shirreffs knew a few weeks ago that he was going to be jockey shopping when Flavien Prat informed him he would be unavailable. Prat is heading to California to ride 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist) in the $300,000 GII San Diego Handicap.

Prat rode Baeza in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont. Berrios was the rider for three of Baeza's first four starts, including a second-place finish in the GI Santa Anita Derby behind Journalism (Curlin).

“I don't think there was another rider that we were really considering because of Hector's experience with the horse,” Shirreffs said Wednesday morning on the Saratoga backstretch. “It's hard to continually change riders on a horse. I think a horse, especially a young horse, needs a little consistency.”

This will be the 37-year-old Berrios's first time riding at Saratoga.

“Oh yeah, very comfortable with him,” Shirreffs said. “Hector is a professional rider. He studies the Form, he watches film. He has lots of experience and he has lots of experience with Baeza. He knows him in and out.”

Baeza, owned by C R K Stable LLC and Grandview Equine, arrived in Saratoga on Friday night. After he walked on Saturday, he went to the track on Sunday.

Shirreffs is looking forward to another chance at Sovereignty. Baeza finished third behind him in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont. In the Derby, he was 1 1/2 lengths behind him, but only beaten a neck for second by Journalism.

Last month at the Belmont, run at Saratoga, Sovereignty beat Baeza by 6 1/2 lengths.

“We've all seen (Sovereignty) run,” Shirreffs said. “He is a very nice horse. My horse has to run his best race, and I think Baeza has a better race in him.”

Pressure Off Bauer After Halina's Forte Honorable Miss Win

When Halina's Forte (Mitole) surprised just about everyone–including her trainer–when she won the GII Honorable Miss at 24-1 on Sunday, the pressure was off the barn.

“Made our meet,” trainer Phil Bauer said at his barn on the Oklahoma training track Wednesday morning. “You don't want to set the bar too high coming up here because you will just get deflated. You hope to win one or two and we got our one. The longer the meet goes, and you haven't been able to get a win, it weighs on you a little bit.”

Haliana's Forte wins the Honorable Miss | Coglianese

Ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., Halina's Forte was the second-longest price in the Honorable Miss field of eight. It was her second start this year after finishing second in the Prairie Rose Stakes at Prairie Meadows as the 4-5 favorite. That was her first start since November.

Halina's Forte slipped up the rail and won the race by a half-length over R Disaster (Awesome Slew). 'TDN Rising Star' Scylla (Tapit), the 6-5 even-money favorite, was third.

Last year, Halina's Forte, owned by Rigney Racing, won the Galway Stakes at Saratoga.

“I was shocked when she did not win off the layoff,” Bauer said. “I thought that was kind of a walkover race. Sometimes they need one and I tried not to read into it too much and kept marching forward.”

Bauer said he was more surprised that his other horse in the race–5-year-old mare Little Prankster (Practical Joke)–finished last. She was 17-1.

Last year, Bauer had a successful summer at Saratoga with six wins in 17 starts.

He has 14 horses in his barn. There is a chance Halina's Forte could be seen again. That would be in the seven-furlong, $500,000 GI Ballerina on Aug. 23, Travers Day.

“We'll see how it comes up,” Bauer said. “('TDN Rising Star') Ways and Means (Practical Joke) might scare some horses away. If it's a position where you think you could get top three, it's probably worth running.”

Looking For a New York Sweep

The bonus is no more, but that doesn't mean a sweep of three New York-bred summer races doesn't mean anything.

And that is the position trainer Rob Atras is in with his 3-year-old Train the Trainer (Dialed In).

Train the Trainer wins the Mike Lee | Sarah Andrew

In his last two starts, Train the Trainer won the Mike Lee Stakes at Saratoga on June 4 and the New York Derby at Finger Lakes on July 14. The third leg of the series is the $200,000 Albany Stakes on Aug. 21 and Atras is hoping to be there.

From 1999 to 2015, the three races made up the Big Apple Triple and a horse that won all three legs would get a bonus of $250,000.

“It would be nice,” Atras said when asked about the Big Apple Triple. “But it's alright. If he makes it to the race and runs big and happens to win it, I would be fine with that, too.”

Train the Trainer began his career in California with trainer Mark Glatt.

“He ran a really good second in his first race and Mark called me and asked if I would take the horse in New York,” Atras said. “They did not really have anything mapped out for him.”

Train the Trainer, owned by Alipony Racing and Saints or Sinners, has won all three of his starts with Atras. He broke his maiden by five lengths, won the Mike Lee by 2 3/4 lengths and then the New York Derby by 4 1/2 as the 1-2 favorite.

The likely favorite in the Mike Lee, Mo Plex (Complexity), was not able to run because his barn was under quarantine at the time.

“After that race, we were not really sure what to do,” Atras said. “We weren't really pointing to the New York Derby; we were looking at maybe an allowance race.”

He ultimately decided to head to Finger Lakes and two turns and Train the Trainer passed the test.

Now, he'll try for the sweep. After that, who knows?

“It's a possibility,” he said when asked about trying open company. “For now, we're going to take it one race at a time.”

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