Alert Bay seeks first Del Mar win in California Dreamin'

DEL MAR, Calif. – From Vancouver to Los Angeles, Alert Bay has won stakes up and down the West Coast in the last two years, but he still has one major venue to conquer. Alert Bay has never won at Del Mar, outside of San Diego.

“I want to get that turned around,” trainer Blaine Wright said on Friday.

Alert Bay will have his third start at Del Mar in Sunday’s $150,000 California Dreamin’ Stakes for statebred milers on turf. The California Dreamin’ will be Alert Bay’s first start at Del Mar since a seventh-place finish in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap last November.

A nine-time stakes winner, Alert Bay, 5, won the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile at Golden Gate Fields in April. He is likely to be favored in the California Dreamin’ Stakes, which drew a field of nine, including six other 2016 stakes winners – Avanti Bello, Ambitious Brew, Boozer, Poshsky, Soi Phet, and Somethings Unusual.

KEY CONTENDERS

Alert Bay, by City Zip
Last 3 Beyers: 105-101-88

◗ Alert Bay was second, beaten a neck, by Poshsky in the Crystal Water Stakes for California-bred turf milers at Santa Anita on June 11 as the even-money favorite. Alert Bay won the San Francisco Mile by the same margin.

◗ Wright trains Alert Bay for Peter Redekop and said the gelding can adapt as race circumstances unfold.

“You can do whatever you want,” Wright said. “He’s got enough speed if you want to be up there.”

◗ The California Dreamin’ should have an honest pace with runners such as Ambitious Brew and Magic Mark having run in sprints in their last starts.

Soi Phet, by Tizbud
Last 3 Beyers: 103-100-94

◗ Soi Phet was entered in Saturday’s $200,000 San Diego Handicap against 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome and the millionaire Dortmund but is more likely to start in the California Dreamin’ Stakes, trainer Leonard Powell said.

“It was either run against California Chrome and Dortmund or run against his own kind on the turf,” Powell said. “I thought I had the same chance to run third in the San Diego as I do to win the California Dreamin’.”

◗ Soi Phet has one win in 11 starts on turf in his 45-race career. This will be Soi Phet’s first start on turf since a third in an optional claimer at Santa Anita in January. He won the McCann’s Mojave Handicap on dirt at Santa Anita on June 26.