LAGATHA TRIES TWO TURNS IN QUEST FOR AN IMPROVED PERFORMANCE
Trainer Reid France is mixing things up with 5-year-old mare Lagatha. In Friday’s featured seventh race, a first level allowance for fillies and mares at one mile on Tapeta, France opts to route the daughter of Surf Cat. She has raced primarily at one turn, with her last eight starts coming against sprinters.
“The theory is that, with her natural speed, she won’t be too hard sent and too hard pressed going the route as opposed to if she was in a sprint with a lot more speed,” said France. “She tried routing once on turf [and didn’t hit the board]. She was younger and has improved since then.”
Lagatha may have other speed to contend with. 5-2 morning line favorite Ten the Smart Way draws inside of Lagatha and has shown front running tactics in most of her route races. With that, France is content with Lagatha stalking the pace if need be.
“She is a lot more versatile now than when I first got her,” said France. “She’s got sprint speed so she should be up close, but if someone wants to go out there and go really quick and we don’t have the lead, I wouldn’t be concerned.”
Lagatha seeks to reverse poor form after a pair of off-the-board finishes in sprint races. Her last race, a sixteen-length loss, should be excused. She broke very poorly out of the gate and failed to get involved while racing at the back of the field. She was not persevered with down the lane, clearly beaten and asked to save something up for the next race.
“She just didn’t get out of the gate,” said France. “She lost the race at the start.”
Regular rider Irving Orozco is back aboard Lagatha on Friday. She is listed as the 7-2 second choice on the morning line.
Bettors have plenty of options to choose from when looking for contenders to play. Ten the Smart Way was third best in a one-turn sprint five weeks ago and gets back to a route of ground. Her better efforts have come at two turns. She won once and finished second twice in three of her last four route tries at the first level allowance condition.
Another notable entrant is Southern California invader Bellamore, who broke her maiden last month at Golden Gate for trainer Simon Callaghan. The daughter of Empire Maker was purchased for $350,000 as a 2-year-old in training and has been at Callaghan’s Santa Anita string prepping for her first start against winners.
Perfect Stories makes her second start off a 10-month layoff for veteran conditioner Cliff DeLima. In her first start off the vacation on March 12, the filly by Grade I winning router Richard’s Kid ran third against sprinters. The last time she competed at a route distance-her last start before the vacation-she scored an upset victory at this level on turf. Creative Romance also makes her second start off a layoff after crossing the wire fourth at this condition on February 19. Imperial Creed, Magical Thought and Misty Cat all exit wins against easier foes and complete the field of eight.
8 races kick off Day 1 of the new racing week with first post on Friday at 1:15 PM.
Race 7 on Friday (First level allowance at one mile on Tapeta)
#1 Magical Thought (Jockey William Antongeorgi…trainer Doug O’Neill…morning line odds 12-1)
#2 Creative Romance (Frank Alvarado…Tim McCanna…6-1)
#3 Misty Cat (Silvio Amador…Dan Franko…10-1)
#4 Ten the Smart Way (Assael Espinoza…Andy Mathis…5-2)
#5 Perfect Stories (Santos Rivera…Cliff DeLima…6-1)
#6 Imperial Creed (Pedro Terrero…Sammy Calvario…5-1)
#7 Lagatha (Irving Orozco…Reid France…7-2)
#8 Bellamore (Evin Roman…Simon Callaghan…6-1)
BRAZENLY SEEKS TO PROVE UPSET VICTORY IN FEBRUARY WAS NO FLUKE
Trainer Jedd Josephson was a tad surprised when 4-year-old gelding Brazenly won a mile and an eighth first-level allowance race on February 12-his first start against winners after a two-turn maiden special weight victory on January 1. Josephson was stunned, however, at the 72-1 odds that Brazenly went off at.
“I was talking to a friend about it. I thought he’d be 15, 20-1,” said Josephson. “I had no idea he was 70-1 until [track announcer] Matt Dinerman said it in the race call.”
In the February 12 event, Brazenly went to the lead and set soft fractions of 49 and 3/5 seconds for a half mile and 1:13 and 2/5 seconds for the first three-quarters of a mile. He was challenged in upper stretch by eventual third place finisher Black Caspian-also entered this Saturday-and repelled his challenge before out finishing runner up finisher Rocks and Salt. The aforementioned rival returned to the races last week and won a first level allowance on Tapeta, signifying Brazenly beat a solid racer in his second consecutive victory.
“He got an easy lead last time and he’s not getting it this weekend,” said Josephson. “I’m not expecting him to be on the lead. There’s a lot more speed in this race. He took a step forward last time and he’s going to have to take another step forward on Saturday, but he’s doing really well.”
Brazenly has shown versatility in his last two races. He went gate to wire in his last start and stalked the pace two races ago when defeating maiden special weight company. Although a Kentucky-bred, Brazenly is sired by California-stallion Grazen, meaning he is eligible to win at the first-level allowance condition a second time without having to be entered for a claiming tag. He makes his career debut on turf this Saturday.
“I think he’ll really like the turf,” said Josephson. “He’s bred to like the grass. We skipped the Tapeta race [at this level] to try the turf.”
Among his main challengers is J T’s Watch, who makes his third start off a layoff and gets back to the turf for the first time in his current form cycle. Last year, J T’s Watch finished as the runner up in a grass race behind eventual stakes winner Jungle Cry. Most recently, the 4-year-old colt finished second behind Grade 2 placed Kazan in a high-level claimer at Golden Gate on March 14.
“He’s doing really, really good,” said J T’s Watch’s trainer, Reid France. “I think he should run really well.”
Seattle Bold is an intriguing contender. He exits stakes company, having just finished well behind the brilliantly fast Brickyard Ride in the Tiznow Stakes at Santa Anita over dirt. The last time Seattle Bold raced on turf, he placed second behind eventual Grade 2 Del Mar Derby winner Noneabovethelaw in the Alcatraz Stakes at Golden Gate last year.
Loafers Boy finished third on the Tapeta at this level three weeks ago and returns to his favorite surface in the Saturday feature. Winter/Spring meet leading rider Pedro Terrero retains the mount for trainer Leanna Ekstrom.
Black Caspian has been unable to win at this level as of late, hitting the board in his last three starts. His lone lifetime victory came on turf when racing overseas in Great Britain. Vantage Point takes a bump up in class after an easy starter allowance victory, Of Good Report makes is first start off the claim for trainer Bill McLean, Strut to the Wire attempts routing for the first time and Govenor’s Party will need to improve after a pair of off-the-board finishes at this level.
A trio of turf races are scattered throughout the Saturday card, including a five-furlong turf dash with a full field of 10. First post is 1:15 PM.
Race 6 on Saturday (First level allowance at one mile and a sixteenth on turf)
#1 Seattle Bold (Jockey Evin Roman…trainer Jamey Thomas…morning line odds of 7-2)
#2 Loafers Boy (Pedro Terrero…Leanna Ekstrom…3-1)
#3 Of Good Report (Irving Orozco…Bill McLean …20-1)
#4 Black Caspian (Santos Rivera…Manny Badilla…4-1)
#5 J T’s Watch (Armando Ayuso…Reid France…9-2)
#6 Vantage Point (Kevin Orozco…Tim McCanna …10-1)
#7 Govenor’s Party (Cristobal Herrera…Dan Franko…6-1)
#8 Strut to the Wire (Assael Espinoza…Mike Lenzini…20-1)
#9 Brazenly (Ruben Fuentes…Jedd Josephson…10-1)
SHADOW SPHINX RETURNS OFF LONG LAYOFF FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CONDITIONER MULHALL IN SUNDAY FEATURE
On Sunday, a second level allowance scheduled for turf attracts a field of eight routers. The mile and a sixteenth affair has been carded as the eighth of nine races and is the second leg of the Golden Hour Pick 4 wager.
The entrant that handicappers will find most thought-provoking is from Southern California. He has not raced since February of last year. Shadow Sphinx, trained by Kristin Mulhall, sports a steady work pattern at Santa Anita and ships North for his 2022 debut. The 7-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile was last seen running fourth, only beaten a length and three-quarters, in a mile and a quarter specialized starter allowance condition at Santa Anita. The winner of the race, Ward’n Jerry, won the Grade 3 San Luis Rey in 2020. In 2020, Shadow Sphinx hit the wire first in four of five races, with every start coming at 8 or 8.5 furlongs. In one of those races, he beat eventual 2021 San Francisco Mile winner Whisper Not. Shadow Sphinx sports a pair of six-furlong drills, along with a quartet of five furlong works, leading up to this race. William Antongeorgi III is slated to ride for the first time.
Seven local contenders are signed up against the comebacker. Irish-bred Mohawk King has scored two impressive gate-to-wire victories since being claimed for $20,000 by trainer Mike Lenzini and takes a hike in class to this second level allowance condition. Most recently, he beat first level allowance company. Ted draws the inside post and is likely to keep Mohawk King company on the lead. One of the best runs of his career-the last time he won-came on the grass when defeating a first level allowance field in the fall.
Tom’s Surprise was the beaten favorite at this level three weeks ago after sitting off a slow pace. Two starts ago, he won at low odds (3-5) while earning a career best Beyer speed figure (91). Both races were run on the main track Tapeta. He tries turf, a surface he has never won on before.
Shadrack makes his second start off a layoff, finishing right behind Tom’s Surprise on March 7. Before a six-month vacation, the son of Gig Harbor finished 3 lengths behind Camino Del Paraiso in the Rolling Green Stakes last September and beat 2022 San Francisco Mile contender and stakes winner American Farmer earlier in the season.
Ready Say Go, who is clearly most effective on turf, returns to his favorite surface on Sunday. His last recent appearance turf was at this condition in November, finishing ahead of American Farmer for second. He removes blinkers for trainer Sherrie Monroe after five consecutive races with the hood. Fuente is another that does his best work on the grass while Wine and Whisky, who rounds out the field, won at the second level allowance condition three starts ago but has since run poorly in two consecutive races.
Live racing concludes on Sunday with a 9-race card. 196 horses are entered throughout the racing week, equating to just under 8 horses per race.
Race 8 on Sunday (Second level allowance at one mile and a sixteenth on turf)
#1 Ted (Jockey Irving Orozco…Trainer Victor Trujillo…morning line odds of 15-1)
#2 Ready Say Go (Pedro Terrero…Sherrie Monroe…8-1)
#3 Mohawk King (Assael Espinoza…Mike Lenzini…7-2)
#4 Fuente (Frank Alvarado…Manny Badilla…15-1)
#5 Shadrack (Kevin Orozco…Tim McCanna…8-1)
#6 Shadow Sphinx (William Antongeorgi III…Kristin Mulhall…5-2)
#7 Wine and Whisky (Cristobal Herrera…Felix Rondan…12-1)
#8 Tom’s Surprise (Armando Ayuso…Jack Steiner…9-5)
CLAIMS REPORT
FRIDAY
Race 1: Knockout Bert (New trainer Ruby Thomas…New owner William Heck)
Race 3: Elgofranco (Sammy Calvario…Karla Estrada)
Race 3: Stand in Your Love (Owner/Trainer Jose Puentes)
Race 5: Sloane Garden (Jonathan Wong…MJVET Stables)
Race 8: Our Expectation (Isidro Tamayo…Leon Scott)
Race 8: Potente Alba (Jesus Ramos…Candelario Barragan)
SATURDAY
Race 4: Rob’s Lucky Spirit (Jose Puentes…Marie Valenzuela and Puentes)
SUNDAY
Race 3: Half Hoping (Isidro Tamayo…Narasimham L. Ayyagari)
Race 3: Kiss Ride Goodbye (Reid France…Goat Racing Stables LLC)
Race 6: Descartes (Ruby Thomas…Sherry Kirk and Thomas)
FINISH LINES: Congratulations to trainer Jim Gilmour, who won with 3 of his 4 starters last week…Unraptured defeated stablemate Anthony’s Cleopatra to give trainer Tim McCanna the exacta in the sixth race last Saturday, a second level allowance for 3-year-olds. Colt Unraptured is possible for the $100,000 California Derby on Gold Rush Weekend Saturday, April 30 while Anthony’s Cleopatra could point to the $75,000 California Oaks that same day for fillies…A half sibling to five-time Grade 2 winner Ashleyluvssugar makes her debut in Race 6 on Sunday. Ashley’s Rainbow, by Tom’s Tribute out of the Urgent Request mare Ashley’s Folly, faces six other rivals in a maiden special weight. Frank Alvarado rides for trainer Andy Mathis…Race 3 on Friday is Leg E (the last leg) of the Stronach 5 wager this week…The Golden Pick Six jackpot pool begins anew Friday. One sharp handicapper was the lone winning ticket for a 6 of 6 payout and took home the sweet sum of $25,728.70.