For Whirlaway Stakes winner Sort It Out, the road to the May 7 Kentucky Derby will run right through Bob Baffert's barn.

Previously trained by Allen Iwinski for Preferred Pals Stable, a majority interest in Sort It Out was sold to Stonerside Stable, which moved the colt to Baffert's barn at Belmont Park. He will then be sent to Baffert's barn in California.

Owned by Bob and Janice McNair, Stonerside will pay a late nomination fee of $6,000 by the March 26 deadline for the New York-bred son of Out of Place, who is 3-for-3 this year. In the Whirlaway at Aqueduct on February 12, he defeated Naughty New Yorker by a neck as he ran the second-fastest winning time (1:43 1/5) in the race's 26-year history.

McNair, owner of the Houston Texans of the National Football League, finished third in the 2001 Kentucky Derby with Congaree, also trained by Baffert.

Baffert has won three Derbies, most recently with War Emblem (2002), who was a late addition to his barn as well, joining him in April of that year.

Galloping Grocer, who was favored in the 1 1/16th mile Whirlaway, finished fourth in the race, his first start in 11 weeks. He also sustained a cut on his left hind leg during the running of the race. However, trainer Dominick Schettino said the cut was "minor" and that he would miss only a few days of training.

"He's fine," said Schettino of Galloping Grocer, runner-up to top Derby contender Rockport Harbor in last year's Remsen. "He came out sound, his leg is good, and he ate up. Physically, he came out good."

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