Robert Clay, co-owner of G1 Pennsylvania Derby winner Baeza, has announced that the Bill Mott trainee will make his next start in the G1 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs on June 27, Blood-Horse reported.
The son of McKinzie adds more star power to a blockbuster field that is expected to include the reigning Horse of the Year and stablemate Sovereignty, Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Magnitude, and recent G2 Oaklawn Handicap winner White Abarrio.
Baeza was third, beaten three-quarters of a length, after a tardy start in his 4-year-old debut, the G2 Alysheba Stakes on the Kentucky Oaks undercard.
“He didn't win the race, but we feel good enough about how he came out of it and how he's doing that we're going to jump in the big pond,” Clay told Blood-Horse. “That race is setting up to be something else."
The Alysheba was Baeza’s first start for Mott after the passing of trainer John Shirreffs, who campaigned the colt as a 2 and 3-year-old.
The report does not note who will pilot Baeza in the Foster. In the Alysheba, he was ridden by Mott’s go-to rider, Junior Alvarado, who rode Sovereignty to victories in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and G1 Travers.
Baeza has finished behind Sovereingty in each of their prior three meetings. Baeza was third in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes and second behind Sovereignty in the G2 Jim Dandy.
Baeza was bred in Kentucky by Clay's Grandview Equine, which co-owns the colt with C R K Stable. He is out of the Broodmare of the Year Puca, who produced 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage and 2024 Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch.
He was sold for $1.2 million at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Read more at bloodhorse.com.
This story was originally published by Paulick Report on May 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Paulick Report as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
