SLAM DUNK SERMON THE ONE TO BEAT IN FRIDAY FEATURE
We save the best for last on Friday afternoon, with the feature race on the program set as the nightcap: Race 8. The six-furlong allowance drew a field of nine, led by consistent racer Slam Dunk Sermon. Slam Dunk Sermon, set as the 3-1 morning line favorite, comes off a convincing two and a half-length victory at this restricted 3-year-old allowance level on September 18. As a California-bred, he is eligible to win at the aforementioned condition once more before he must be put up for the “optional” $50,000 tag.
“He worked well on Sunday morning,” said trainer Steve Specht. “You know, he’s always shown us he could run. As a 2-year-old, he hadn’t really grown into his body yet and we decided to wait until he was 3 to race him. In his first start, the rider just never got after him. In his second start, he went off at 57-1 and won by six lengths. I really wasn’t surprised.”
Even so, it’s clear that Specht has done a fine job with developing Slam Dunk Sermon into the racehorse he is today. After breaking his maiden for a $12,500 tag, Specht protected him from being claimed in four straight starter allowance races, two of which he won. He ran fourth behind two next-out winners in a first level allowance for older foes two starts ago and, most recently, hit the wire first in the September 18 allowance restricted to 3-year-olds.
“He’s not necessarily the flashiest horse out there but he tries hard every race,” said Specht. “He does the best he can all the time. He’s a real honest horse.”
Other main contenders in the Friday finale include Southern California invader Foothill, recent starter allowance winner Ready for a Fight, Pleasanton allowance winner Take Me for a Spin and class dropper Darnquick. Race 8 has an approximate post time of
BADILLA CONFIDENT SCHERZO CAN HANDLE PROVEN WINNERS
Well-regarded filly Scherzo will likely get play in Race 5 on Saturday, a one-mile first level allowance for 3-year-old fillies. The race attracted six entrants, which includes likely favorite Mylittlerunaway and the Jonathan Wong trained pair of Malibu Jane and Reiwa.
“We’ve always loved her,” said Scherzo’s trainer, Manny Badilla. “She came out of her maiden win in good shape and has been working great leading up to this race. Anne [Sanguinetti] worked her on Sunday morning [5 furlongs in 59 and 1] and she hopped off and said, ‘This is a nice filly.'”
Scherzo, a Great Britain bred by champion European turf router Golden Horn, started her career overseas with trainer Richard Fahey. In two springtime races over synthetic surfaces there, she finished second.
In July, Scherzo was put up for sale at the popular Tattersales auction in Europe. With an appealing physical and a hopeful race record, Scherzo was popular during the bidding process and eventually sold for $42,373 to owners Ron Charles and Sam Gordon. Charles and Gordon immediately shipped their new acquisition to Badilla, who trained Scherzo for about a month before entering her in a race. She kicked off her United States racing career with a smashing two and a half-length victory in Race 7 on September 17, a one mile and a sixteenth turf route against nine older fillies and mare maidens. She returns to the grass on Saturday.
“Everyone at the barn is excited to see how she’ll run against allowance company,” said Badilla. “I’ll tell ya…this filly is a runner. She’s up for the task.”
CARTOONIST LOVES HIS JOB AT AGE 8
In Race 7 last Thursday, 8-year-old Cartoonist picked up his fourth win from ten starts this year after a gutsy score against mid-level claimers sprinting five furlongs on turf. Cartoonist, a winner of 15 races with 10 seconds, six thirds and career earnings of $307,916, is a gelding by Comic Strip. Currently trained by Mike Lenzini and owned by Gary Marrone, he was bred by prominent California breeders Dr. and Mrs. William T. Gray in “the Golden State.”
“I’m really proud of him,” said Lenzini. “He’s all racehorse. If you let him do his thing, he’ll give you everything he’s got.”
Lenzini was not shy of sharing the “secret” to Cartoonist’s success.
“Every horse has a personality,” said Lenzini with a smile. “Cartoonist…you just have to let him do what he wants to do. That’s it. It’s best to stay out of his way. If you take a hold of him or fight him he won’t give you anything. In the barn he’s like a pet. He is super nice, loves carrots and is so easygoing. But when he gets on the track, he wants to do things his way.”
Lenzini was quick to praise jockey Erick Lopez, who has been aboard Cartoonist for his past two trips to the winner’s circle.
“Erick has done a good job with him,” said Lenzini. “He listens to instructions. I told Erick, ‘This horse will put you on the lead. Let him break and don’t get in his way.’ Cartoonist is a very quick horse and if he wants the lead, he’ll go and get it.”
Lenzini said that, assuming all goes to plan, Cartoonist would race next in three or four weeks.
CLAIMS REPORT
Below are all horses claimed last week, and their next connections.
Thursday
Race 1: Incredible Luck (Trainer Isidro Tamayo…Owners Zach Morgan and John Tipton)
Race 2: One Eyed Robin (Jonathan Wong…Johnny Taboada)
Race 3: Top of the Game (Isidro Tamayo…Zach Morgan and John Tipton)
Saturday
Race 1: Ca Dreamer (Owner/Trainer Jesus Uranga)
Race 1: Regal Lady (Owner/Trainer Tim Bellasis)
Race 1: The Pet (Salvador Naranjo…Gracia Naranjo)
Race 3: Cartellate (Doug O’Neill…Joseph Besecker)
Sunday
Race 9: Baby Frankie (Blaine Wright…Seamist Racing LLC)
Race 9: Nowhere Man (Cliff DeLima…Barbara DeLima)
FINISH LINES: With a couple weeks left to go at the current summer meet, Kyle Frey paves the way in the jockey standings with 35 wins, 10 more than Santos Rivera (25) and 15 ahead of Frank Alvarado (20)…In the trainer standings, Jonathan Wong leads with 29 trips to the winners circle. Isidro Tamayo (19) and Steve Sherman (13) crack the top 3…Jockey Ricky Gonzalez picked up his first ever Southern California stakes victory with 2-year-old colt Ebeko in the $100,000 Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Anita on Sunday…2020 Alcatraz Stakes runner up Ajourneytofreedom, now in the barn of Mike Maker after being claimed for $80,000, finished fourth in the $250,000 Belmont Derby on turf at Belmont Park last Saturday…$233,915 sits in the Golden Pick 6 jackpot pool heading into Thursday’s 7-race card…Race 3 on Friday is Leg E (the last leg) of the Stronach 5 wager…Happy birthday to trainer Bob Hess Sr, apprentice jockey Jose Rodriguez and jockey agent Ramon Silva, all who turn one year older this week.