BENSALEM, PA – John Shirreffs finally had reason to celebrate at Parx Racing on Saturday. Standing at the rail between the finish line and the first turn, he raised his arms skyward only after the horses had galloped past the wire, fists clenched in triumph. His 3-year-old colt Baeza shed his runner-up reputation with an emphatic 2¼-length victory in the $1 million betPARX Pennsylvania Derby (G1).
“He needed to win something,” said Shirreffs, who had his unyielding faith in his well-traveled 3-year-old colt rewarded. “And to win the Pennsylvania Derby … Look at all the great horses that have won it. I was at dinner in the casino the other night watching the tape of the horses that have run in it. It’s a great group.”
Owned by C R K Stable and breeder Grandview Equine, Baeza had been knocking on the door all season. He finished third in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, then second in the Jim Dandy, each time traveling cross-country from his Southern California base. The star of those races, Sovereignty, stayed at Saratoga this weekend, giving Baeza the stage—and he seized it.
“Today was one of the most exciting races I have ever participated in, to tell you the truth,” Shirreffs said. “And that includes races with (2010 Horse of the Year) Zenyatta. This was like, ‘prove yourself today.’ And he did. This was very gratifying. We have been close in some of the big races and today he put it all together.”
The 1 1/8-mile race unfolded at a sharp pace. So Sandy led a tightly packed field through fractions of 23.01 and 46.63 seconds, with seven horses separated by just three lengths down the backstretch. Baeza, the 7-5 favorite under Hector Berrios, was seventh after six furlongs in 1:10.51 but only four lengths off the lead. The colt—by McKinzie and a half-brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage and 2024 Belmont Stakes champion Dornoch—unleashed a powerful move on the far turn, advancing five spots within a furlong to collar Goal Oriented before the eighth pole. He drew off to stop the clock in 1:48.03.
Magnitude closed for second, two lengths ahead of Goal Oriented, with So Sandy holding fourth. For Berrios, who lost the mount for the Derby and Belmont but regained it in the Jim Dandy, the win was especially sweet.
“For me, this is a new starting point and I like it,” said Berrios, who was taken off Baeza in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont, but regained the mount in the Jim Dandy. “I wanted to close, because these horses were very quick, so for me it was just wait, wait, and at the three-eighths (pole), he was pumped and finally closed. For my career, I’m very happy.”
Shirreffs credited both horse and rider for a flawless effort. “He was tactical, he had a kick, he did everything today,” Shirreffs said. “He broke OK, but it looked like he was maybe thinking about dropping back a little bit, but Hector was like ‘no, no, we are going to stay connected with the field.’ He willingly started creeping up and getting better position. The horse ran beautifully, Hector rode him perfectly and it was a great afternoon.”
A large, sun-soaked crowd enjoyed clear skies and temperatures in the low 70s—arguably the best weather in the race’s history. All-sources handle reached $17.8 million, the second-highest ever for the Pennsylvania Derby, trailing only the $18.8 million wagered in 2022 when Derby winner Taiba headlined the card.
