Hollywood notes: California Flag retires after his fifth Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint

Barbara D. Livingston

California Flag, 8, won the 2009 BC Turf Sprint but finished 13th in last Saturday's running.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - California Flag, the winner of the 2009 BC Turf Sprint at Santa Anita, but only 13th behind Mizdirection on Saturday, has been retired, trainer Brian Koriner said.

An 8-year-old gelding owned by Barbara Card, E-Racing.com, Kevin Jacobson, and John Fradkin, California Flag ended his career with 11 wins in 27 starts and earnings of $1,288,825.

“He’ll go home in a couple of days,” Koriner said. “It was a good run.”

California Flag won the Grade 3 San Simeon Handicap on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in April, his last start before the BC Turf Sprint. California Flag retires as one of four horses to start in five Breeders’ Cup races. He has run in all the BC Turf Sprints that have been contested.

Gutierrez opens public stable

Trainer Jorge Gutierrez opened his stable to public clients at the start of November, ending a six-year private arrangement with California owner-breeder Ben Warren.

Gutierrez said he will continue to train extensively for Warren, who owns 37 of the 44 horses that Gutierrez has in his current stable. But Warren has ended his breeding operation, and will have his final sizable crop of 2-year-olds in 2013, the trainer said.

Gutierrez said he expects Warren to continue breeding a small number of mares, including Warren’s Jitterbug, who won the B. Thoughtful Stakes at Hollywood Park in April.

Of his new horses, Gutierrez, 47, is enthused about the prospects of the 2-year-old Sweet Marini, a maiden race winner in her debut at Santa Anita on Sunday. Owned by BMWZ Stable, Sweet Marini is a candidate for the $200,000 Soviet Problem Stakes for California-bred 2-year-old fillies over seven furlongs at Hollywood Park on Dec. 9.

In her maiden race win, Sweet Marini was always near the front and won a six-furlong race by 5 1/4 lengths in 1:09.47.

“She’s shown a lot of talent,” Gutierrez said.

◗ The stakes winners Carving, Fury Capcori, and Glenco Kid are among the seven entrants in Saturday’s $100,000 Real Quiet Stakes for 2-year-olds over 1 1/16 miles at Hollywood Park. Carving won the C.B. Afflerbaugh Stakes at Fairplex Park on Sept. 12, and was fourth to Power Broker in the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 29.