Alert Bay will put winning streak on line in Snow Chief Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Alert Bay gave trainer Blaine Wright his first Santa Anita stakes winner in the $200,000 Echo Eddie Stakes on April 5. When Alert Bay runs in the $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on turf April 26, he could be part of an even more memorable day for the 39-year-old Wright.

The trainer also plans to run multiple graded stakes winner Hudson Landing in the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile on turf at Golden Gate Fields the same day.

Wright plans to be at Santa Anita to watch Alert Bay, a 3-year-old gelding by City Zip who races for Peter Redekop. Alert Bay won his stakes debut in the Echo Eddie, closing from fifth in a field of eight to win the race over 6 1/2 furlongs by a half-length as a 9-1 outsider.

The Snow Chief Stakes will be the longest race of Alert Bay’s career, which includes three wins in six starts and earnings of $187,800.

“He always seems to gallop out strongly,” Wright said Friday. “I think the distance should suit him.”

Alert Bay was second in his first three starts, all sprints on the Tapeta Footings synthetic track at Golden Gate Fields last November and December. Alert Bay won a maiden race for California-breds in his Santa Anita debut Feb. 2 and won an optional claimer over a mile on the synthetic track at Golden Gate Fields on Feb. 23.

Wright said Alert Bay “was a little tired” after the Echo Eddie, which was restricted to California-breds. Tyler Baze rode Alert Bay in the Echo Eddie.

“Tyler had to use him up a bit, but he’s recovered,” Wright said.

The current win streak is a reflection of the ability that Wright said Alert Bay showed from the start of his career.

“I had high hopes for him, and I was a little frustrated when he ran second three times,” he said.

The Snow Chief Stakes is part of the California Gold Rush program that features five stakes for California-breds. The Gold Rush program was previously run at Hollywood Park, which closed last December.

This year’s program also includes the $250,000 Melair Stakes for 3-year-old fillies over 1 1/16 miles, the $125,000 Tiznow Stakes for older horses over a mile, the $125,000 Spring Fever Stakes for older fillies and mares over six furlongs, and the $100,000 Fran’s Valentine Stakes for older fillies and mares over a mile on turf.

The Snow Chief field is led by Tamarando, who won the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields on Feb. 15 but was eighth as the 2-1 favorite in the Grade 3 Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park on March 22. The Snow Chief Stakes will be Tamarando’s first start on turf.

The Gold Rush program is the highlight of the first week of Santa Anita’s spring-summer meeting. Following Sunday’s program, the final day of the winter-spring meeting, the track will resume racing Friday, with a 3 p.m. Pacific first post.

This will be the first year Santa Anita has run a spring-summer meeting, replacing racing dates previously held at Hollywood Park.