Rodriguez and Baeza both turned in serious workouts Friday morning at Santa Anita in preparation for scheduled starts in the $2 million Belmont Stakes at Saratoga on June 7.
Rodriguez, the Wood Memorial winner who scratched from the Kentucky Derby due to a foot issue, went seven furlongs in 1:24.80. Santa Anita clocker Dane Nelson caught Rodriguez’s first five furlongs in 59.60 seconds.
“Looked good, so we’ll see how he comes out of the work, but from what I saw today he’s definitely coming to the Belmont unless something drastically changes,” trainer Bob Baffert said by phone from Calfiornia. “The track wasn’t really fast, he was by himself, went around there nice. It was a nice, stiff breeze and he handled it really well. I’m happy.”
Rodriguez was scratched by Baffert from the Derby due to a minor foot issue that never really took the horse out of serious training. He worked a week after the Derby at Churchill Downs before Baffert decided to ship him to his home base of Southern California.
Though he went 12 days between workouts, Baffert didn’t believe Rodriguez lost any fitness.
“He’s a live horse, he’s pretty fit. He was coming into the Derby really fit. He was ready to go a mile and a quarter,” Baffert said. “It doesn’t take much to get him ready. He’s like his sire, Authentic, not a big, heavy horse.”
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The defection of Gosger from the Belmont Stakes could make Rodriguez the main speed of the Belmont, depending on who ultimately ends up entering the race. Rodriguez won the Wood Memorial in gate-to-wire fashion under Mike Smith, who is scheduled to ride him in the Belmont.
Baffert said Rodriguez would have his final Belmont Stakes workout at Santa Anita before shipping to Saratoga.
Baeza, the third-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, worked six furlongs in 1:12.40. Baeza, who went in company with the maiden Westwood, third in the Santa Anita Derby, went his final quarter in 25 seconds, according to Nelson.
John Shirreffs, the trainer of Baeza, said his horse started a little bit behind Westwood “until turning for the lane, Baeza opened up a little,” Shirreffs said. “I thought it was a nice, solid work. I was hoping to go in 1:12 and change and that’s exactly what he did.”
Shirreffs said he’s been pleased with how Baeza has done since the Derby, where he finished third after encountering traffic.
“As long as he’s eating and maintaining his weight,” Shirreffs said. “I think he’s done very well.”
Shirreffs said he plans to ship Baeza to New York on May 29 with the plan of working at Saratoga on June 1.
Sovereignty, Journalism train over main track
Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty and Derby runner-up and Preakness winner Journalism both galloped over Saratoga’s main track on Friday.
Sovereignty, trained by Bill Mott, has been galloping regularly and had a workout over the Oklahoma training track since he shipped to Saratoga from Churchill following the Derby. Sovereignty is scheduled to work again over the weekend. Mott has not worked a horse over the main track since it reopened for the season earlier this month.
Journalism turned in a strong, eye-catching gallop over the fast main track after jogging over a sealed strip Thursday morning. Journalism was wearing his NYRA-issued Belmont Stakes saddle towel, though trainer Michael McCarthy has yet to commit the Preakness winner to the race just yet.
Heart of Honor, the fifth-place finisher in the Preakness, arrived in Saratoga on Wednesday.
Hill Road, the Peter Pan Stakes winner, remains at Belmont Park, where he was expected to have a workout on Saturday morning over the training track, weather permitting, trainer Chad Brown said.
◗ Nysos, who dead-heated for second with Banishing, both a neck behind Mindframe, in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes on May 3, worked five furlongs in 59.20 seconds at Santa Anita for Baffert, who said he’s “on the fence” about running the horse in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap.
◗ The New York Racing Association announced post times for Belmont Stakes week at Saratoga. For the 10-race cards of June 4, 5, and 8, first post will be 12:40 p.m. First post for the 14-race card on June 6 will be 11:40 a.m. First post for the 14-race Belmont Stakes Day card on June 7 will be 10:45 a.m.
– additional reporting by Mike Welsch
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