Breeders’ Cup Classic watch: Shirreffs is back in the big one

This is the 15th installment of a weekly feature exclusive to Horse Racing Nation tracking the Breeders’ Cup Classic horses all the way through the $7 million race on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Absent from the Breeders’ Cup Classic for 15 years, trainer John Shirreffs is set to return to the big race for the first time since the heartbreaking defeat of Zenyatta at Churchill Downs.

In 11 days he will send Baeza to the starting gate at Del Mar. An impeccably bred son of McKinzie and Puca, the CRK Stables runner is a handsome late foal who will come into the Classic fresh off his first Grade 1 victory. He earned it with an easy score in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 20 at Parx.

An 80-year-old native of Kansas, Shirreffs has had nine starters in the Breeders’ Cup since that fateful night under the twin spires in 2010 but has not saddled a starter in America’s current richest race since Zenyatta’s late rally fell tantalizingly and agonizingly just short to Blame in the 2010 edition. 

Zenyatta always will be the best horse Shirreffs ever trained. She was his first winner at the world championships and accounts for two of the three Breeders’ Cup victories for the veteran trainer. 

The great mare won her first 19 starts, including the 2008 edition of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Life Is Sweet gave Shirreffs back-to-back winners in that race, then called the Ladies’ Classic, the following year at Oak Tree at Santa Anita. 

One day after Life Is Sweet’s victory, Zenyatta famously powered home in the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic. The “un-be-liev-able” victory for the big daughter of Street Cry while running against the males for the first time raised her perfect record to 14-for-14.

One year later she came to Churchill Downs for her swan song. A victory would have ended her remarkable career with an even 20 wins without a loss. She gave it everything she had in front of an adoring crowd, but so did Blame. The race remains one of the best remembered of any Breeders’ Cup contest.

Before Zenyatta, or B.Z. as I like to call the time period, Shirreffs had four starters in the Breeders’ Cup Classic starting with Bertrando in 1994. The wonderful California-bred had finished second to the European star Arazi in the 1991 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile for trainer Bruce Headley and then second again to the France long shot Arcangues in the 1993 edition of the Classic while trained by Bobby Frankel. 

The durable son of Skywalker was transferred to Shirreffs for his 5-year-old season and won a pair of stakes in California before a third try in the Breeders’ Cup. He was the early leader again in the Breeders’ Cup Classic that year at Churchill Downs but faded to sixth in the 14-horse field in the race which was won by Concern in 1994. 

In 2005, Shirreffs earned his only Kentucky Derby victory with late-running Giacomo. A graded-stakes winner the following year, the gray son of Holy Bull was a long shot in the Breeders’ Cup Classic but rallied home a solid fourth behind Invasor and Bernardini in a 13-horse field in 2006. 

Tiago gave Shirreffs a starter in the rich race in each of the next two seasons. Like Giacomo he was a late runner who did not find the winner’s circle at a high percentage. The multiple Grade 1-winning son of Pleasant Tap was good enough to rally for fifth behind Curlin as a 3-year-old in Monmouth Park’s sloppy 2007 edition and then third behind Raven’s Pass the following year at Santa Anita. 

Overall, Shirreffs has a solid and symmetrical record of a win, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth in his six previous attempts in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He will return to the big race after all these years with a colt of serious talent.

Following an impressive maiden win in his second career start on dirt, Baeza knocked on the door in the Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and Grade 2 Jim Dandy while facing more-experienced division leaders Sovereignty and Journalism. 

Baeza got a bit of class relief in the Pennsylvania Derby and took full advantage. He showed his class in winning his first Grade 1 in impressive style, but he also may have demonstrated there is still room for improvement. 

This year’s Classic field is so strong that even a career best by Baeza might not be enough to give his trainer a second win in the Classic, but improving with maturity the young colt is in with a chance. And hopefully, like Zenyatta, he gets more than one shot at the prestigious race.

Track all the top contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Classic each week right here.

New to the list: Contrary Thinking.

Dropped from the list: Disarm, Highland Falls, Hit Show, No Bien Ni Mal.