C R K Stable and Grandview Equine's Baeza (McKinzie), winner of the GI Pennsylvania Derby and third in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes last season, will be transferred to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, according to the DRF Monday.
The colt was previously trained by John Shirreffs, who passed away last week.
“The most important thing is the quality of Bill Mott, the kind of person that Robert Clay and myself relate to,” Lee Searing told DRF. “John Shirreffs would probably have liked that pick.”
Baeza, who had been based a Santa Anita with trainer Peter Eurton following Shirreffs's death, worked a half-mile on Sunday. Under rider Amy Vasko, he negotiated a half-mile in :48.80.
The half-brother to Kentucky Derby winner Mage and Belmont hero Dornoch is expected to arrive at Mott's Payson Park training base on Thursday.
While Mott also trains Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old colt Sovereignty, Searing is confident the colts can remain apart, albeit for a while.
“I think there are many races we can keep them separate,” he told DRF. “Everyone wants to get to the Breeders' Cup.”
While Searing's horses will reportedly remain with Eurton, including GSW Westwood (Authentic), several of Shirreffs' other trainees have gone sent to other trainers including Bob Hess Jr. and Leonard Powell.
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