Ambitious Brew considers numerous options

CYPRESS, Calif. - Ambitious Brew has a six-pack of stakes wins in his career, in turf sprints and dirt races at a mile.

His ability to adapt to different surfaces and distances has given owner Pamela Ziebarth and trainer Marty Jones numerous options. Ambitious Brew was scheduled to start in the $100,000 Lennyfrommalibu Stakes for California-breds on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on July 4, but the race was cancelled by track management because of few entries.

An another opportunity was right around the corner. Ambitious Brew on Saturday won the $100,690 Bertrando Stakes for California-bred milers on dirt at Los Alamitos for his second stakes win of 2017. He won the Sensational Star Stakes on the hillside turf course in February.

“He can run a mile on the grass, on synthetic or dirt,” Jones said. “He’s a special horse. He has been a pleasure to train.”

Ambitious Brew was bred by Ziebarth and has won 9 of 25 starts and earned $669,425.

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While Ambitious Brew won a division of the Grade 3 Eddie D Stakes on the hillside turf course last September, the 7-year-old has struggled in the most prestigious races of his career. In the last 13 months, Ambitious Brew has started in two Grade 1 races at Santa Anita: finishing sixth in the Triple Bend Stakes for sprinters on dirt in June 2016 and 13th in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on the hillside course last November.

“I wish he would have accomplished a little more in the Grade 1s, but on the biggest days it hasn’t worked out,” Jones said.

Goals for the rest of the summer are likely to lead to starts in California-bred races. The $150,000 California Dreamin’ Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf on July 29 is an option, as is the E.B. Johnston Stakes at Los Alamitos on dirt in September.

“He does appreciate time between races,” Jones said.