Authentic colt worked seven furlongs the morning of May 23 at Santa Anita Park.
Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) winner Rodriguez , who missed the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) due to a lingering foot bruise, is "ready for a trip to Saratoga" to contest the June 7 Belmont Stakes (G1), according to co-owner Tom Ryan.
Ryan posted on the social media platform X May 23 that Rodriguez had a "lovely work" and was a "happy horse, extended nicely" in a seven-furlong breeze Friday morning at Santa Anita Park. The 3-year-old son of Authentic , working solo under jockey Juan Hernandez, was timed in 1:24 4/5. Friday's work was the colt's second breeze since he was withdrawn from the Kentucky Derby field.
Racing for the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Ryan, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan, Rodriguez was initially slated to start in the May 17 Preakness upon his withdrawal from the Kentucky Derby but ultimately bypassed the second jewel of the Triple Crown when trainer Bob Baffert felt he couldn't prepare the colt adequately in such a short amount of time after his foot injury.
READ: With Rodriguez Out, Goal Oriented Emerges for Preakness
The SF Racing-led partnership started Rodriguez's stablemate Goal Oriented in the Preakness, where he finished fourth behind the victorious Journalism .
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Belmont Stakes probable and Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Baeza joined Rodriguez on the Friday work tab. After working an easy half-mile in his first work since the Derby last week, the McKinzie colt turned up the heat this week, drilling six furlongs in 1:12 2/5 in company. The John Shirreffs trainee, piloted in the breeze by jockey Camille Lafaye, worked in company with stablemate and Santa Anita Derby (G1) third Westwood .
Owned by C R K Stable and breeder Grandview Equine, the Belmont Stakes has been the target for Baeza, a half sibling to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage and 2024 Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch , since the May 3 Kentucky Derby. The colt's third-place effort marked his second attempt at stakes company following a game runner-up finish to Journalism in the Santa Anita Derby.
The $2 million Belmont Stakes, for the second year in a row, will be held at Saratoga Race Course while Belmont Park remains under ongoing construction. The third jewel of the Triple Crown will also again be contested over the distance of 1 1/4 miles rather than its traditional 1 1/2 miles.