Baeza, who finished a closing third in the Kentucky Derby, is among those awaiting the Belmont Stakes a little more than three weeks off. Historic Runnymede Farm, which raised the colt and consigned him to sale for his breeder, does, however, have another rooting interest in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes in Goal Oriented. The farm co-bred, raised, and sold the lightly raced and unbeaten colt, who is from the immediate family of Eclipse Award champion Lady Eli. Runnymede, founded in 1867 by Col. Ezekiel Clay, is recognized by historic preservation groups as the oldest continuously operated Thoroughbred farm in Kentucky. The Paris, Ky., nursery is now under the stewardship of Ezekiel Clay’s great-grandson Brutus Clay III, who took over the reins from father Catesby W. Clay in 2009. Catesby Clay died last September at age 101. Runners bred or raised by Runnymede have played a major role in American racing history, including in the nation’s major events such as the Preakness Stakes, which will be run for the 150th time on Saturday. Buddhist, bred by Ezekiel Clay and Catesby Woodford, and later owned by Samuel Brown, won the 1889 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. :: Get ready for the Preakness with DRF past performances, picks, and betting strategies! Other noteworthy Runnymede bred and/or raised runners through history include 1887 Belmont Stakes winner, Hall of Famer, and prominent sire Hanover; 1896 Kentucky Derby winner and Hall of Famer Ben Brush; fellow Hall of Famers Miss Woodford and Roamer; Derby winners Agile (1905) and Count Turf (1951); and an additional Belmont winner Sir Dixon (1888). More recently, the farm has been tied to the Triple Crown series through the exploits of 2024 Broodmare of the Year Puca, who it boarded for owner Grandview Equine. Runnymede raised, and consigned to sale as yearlings for Grandview, 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage, 2024 Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch, and Baeza. Grandview sold Puca to John Stewart’s Resolute Farm in November 2023. Along with its tie to Puca, Runnymede is best known in the last decade for as the breeder of the strong-willed Lady Eli, who overcame a battle with laminitis to return to racing at a high level and earn an Eclipse Award. Lady Eli, sired by Runnymede-bred Metropolitan Handicap winner Divine Park, was produced by the Saint Ballado mare Sacre Coeur, in turn a daughter of Runnymede foundation mare Kazadancoa, purchased by Catesby Clay in 1981. In addition to Lady Eli and her multiple graded stakes-winning half-sister Bizzy Caroline – the dam of Goal Oriented – this family is responsible for runners such as Canadian champion Spring in the Air; Grade 1/Group 1 winners Palace Episode, Spiced Perfection, and Sweet Loretta; and graded/group stakes winners Changing Ways, Jacodra, Jacodra’s Devil, and Tejano Run, who was second in the 1995 Kentucky Derby. Lady Eli won five Grade 1 races: the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf; 2015 Belmont Oaks; 2016 Flower Bowl; and 2017 Gamely Stakes and Diana Stakes. Her half-sister Bizzy Caroline, by Afleet Alex, was also successful on turf, winning the Grade 3 Regret Stakes and Grade 3 Mint Julep Stakes, both at Churchill Downs. She won at up to 1 3/16 miles – the Preakness distance – and was also stakes-placed at 1 1/2 miles. Bizzy Caroline is the dam of four winners from eight starters to date, with Goal Oriented perhaps a breakout horse for her. A May 15 foal, and thus a later bloomer, he has won both his career starts, on April 6 and May 3, for SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan. “He’s really come into himself,” trainer Bob Baffert told Pimlico this week. Runnymede, which co-bred Goal Oriented with CWC Investment 2, LLC, sold the colt for $425,000 to the current ownership at the 2023 Keeneland September yearling sale as part of a strong auction for the boutique operation. At the same sale, Runnymede sold three seven-figure lots – a $2 million Uncle Mo colt, a $1.2 million McKinzie colt, and a $1.15 million Gun Runner colt. That McKinzie colt is now known as Baeza. Meanwhile, the Uncle Mo colt, Joud, is breezing in California for Baffert, and the Gun Runner colt, Disruptor, has won once from three starts for Todd Pletcher. Both were bred by Runnymede with partners. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.