After long absence, North County Guy back on the downhill in California Flag

Way back in October 2018, North County Guy won an allowance race on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita by 5 3/4 lengths in the first of his three consecutive sprint starts on the course. Sunday, North County Guy is back on the hillside for the first time since January 2019 as part of a field of nine in the $100,000 California Flag Handicap for statebreds at about 6 1/2 furlongs.

“Hopefully, he remembers,” trainer Richard Baltas said. “It’s been a while and he won very nicely.”

The course was not used for sprints from late March of 2019 until last month and is being used sparingly during the autumn meeting.

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North County Guy, owned by Nancy Messineo and Bruce Sands, has accomplished plenty since his win on the hillside three years ago, notably a victory in the $201,500 Unusual Heat Turf Classic at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Santa Anita in January.

A 6-year-old gelding, North County Guy made two starts at the Del Mar summer meeting, both at 1 1/16 miles on turf. North County Guy finished third in the California Dreamin’ Stakes for statebreds on July 25 and won an allowance race against open company on Aug. 20.

Baltas considered the Lure Stakes at a mile on turf on Oct. 23 for North County Guy, but opted for the California Flag.

“He’s been beating these kind of horses,” Baltas said. “I think there is plenty of speed to run at.”

Give Me the Lute will be part of the pace. Trained by Andy Mathis, Give Me the Lute was second in the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar on Aug. 21. Race winner Lieutenant Dan returned to win the Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on Oct. 1, and is a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

“I thought he’d run well at Del Mar,” Mathis said. “He kind of got blown away by Lieutenant Dan.”

Give Me the Lute won an allowance race at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Golden Gate Fields last October and the Albany Stakes at five furlongs on turf there in June in his 2021 debut.

“I’m excited about this distance,” Mathis said of the 6 1/2 furlongs Sunday. “This is something in the middle and I’m hoping it can be in his wheelhouse.”

In the Albany, Give Me the Lute ran an opening quarter-mile in 20.77 seconds and won by three-quarters of a length over the recently retired Brandothebartender.

“He’s got a lot of gas,” Mathis said.

A fast pace would help Indian Peak, who was second to Brandothebartender in the California Dreamin’, but last of five behind North County Guy in the allowance race on Aug. 20.

“That was a head-scratcher,” trainer Peter Miller said. “It was just a clunker.”

Indian Peak, a winner of 5 of 19 starts, has never started on the hillside course. Indian Peak has been racing at a mile or 1 1/16 miles, and Miller expects him to be closing in the stretch of the California Flag.

“It could be a little short, but he should be coming along,” Miller said.