Spendthrift Farm Pulls Following Sea From Baffert
Image:
Description:
Photo: Coady Photography
Following Sea rolls in a maiden race at Oaklawn Park
Spendthrift Farm's Following Sea , a second-out maiden winner at Oaklawn Park April 10 for trainer Bob Baffert, is one of a handful of horses the farm intends to transfer away from the Hall of Fame trainer, according to a report in Daily Racing Form.
The Form wrote that Following Sea would join trainer Todd Pletcher in New York and that four 2-year-olds the farm has on the West Coast with Baffert would be moved, most likely going to trainer Richard Mandella.
Following Sea had been considered a prospective starter for the May 15 Chick Lang Stakes (G3) at Pimlico Race Course before the latest barn change. The move came after the announcement of the Baffert-trained Medina Spirit testing positive for betamethasone after his victory in the May 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs.
Teaming with Baffert, Spendthrift and co-owners MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables, and Starlight Racing won the 2020 Derby last year with Authentic . The colt went on to win the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). Named Horse of the Year in 2020, Authentic currently stands at Spendthrift for $75,000.
"Given the circumstances, we thought it was best to hit the pause button," Ned Toffey, general manager of Spendthrift Farm, told Daily Racing Form about the farm's relationship with Baffert.
Reached by BloodHorse, Toffey confirmed the accuracy of the report but otherwise declined to comment.