Ascendancy heads Burbank in return to Northern California

Two weeks after an eighth-place finish at Del Mar, the 4-year-old filly Ascendancy starts in Saturday’s $75,000 Luther Burbank Stakes for fillies and mares at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, Calif.

A return to Northern California may boost Ascendancy’s already outstanding season. In five starts this year at Golden Gate Fields and on the fair circuit, Ascendancy has won four times, including the She’s a Tiger Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on dirt at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton June 24.

At Del Mar on July 22, Ascendancy finished eighth by three lengths in the restricted Osunitas Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on turf, closing from 13th in a field of 14 to be closest to the front at the finish.

Geovanni Franco rode Ascendancy for the first time in the Osunitas Stakes and his lack of familiarity with the six-time winner was an issue, according to trainer O.J. Jauregui. Franco had Ascendancy farther back than Jauregui would have preferred.

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“He didn’t know the horse,” Jauregui said. “She’s not easy to ride. It wasn’t what I was hoping to get.”

Alexander Chavez, who rode Ascendancy to three consecutive wins in May and June, including the She’s a Tiger Stakes, regains the mount in the Burbank Stakes.

The Burbank Stakes, run at 1 1/16 miles on turf, drew a field of 10, but is not expected to have that many runners. Chancery Way, winner of the Governor’s Cup Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs on dirt at Cal-Expo in Sacramento July 22, will be withdrawn, trainer Jamey Thomas said on Thursday.

“The race came up a lot tougher than what we wanted,” Thomas said.

Chancery Way will instead start at Golden Gate Fields when that track opens a brief summer meeting later this month, Thomas said.

Ascendancy, owned by a partnership that includes Jauregui, drew post 9, and will be toward the back of the field early.

“We come from off it,” Jauregui said. “She can sit and relax.”

The two-week turnaround is a slight concern for Juaregui, who has not worked Ascendancy since the Osunitas.

“I’m running right back,” he said. “She looks great and she’s acting great. I’d like to get a little more spacing.”

Ever Smart, winner of an allowance race at a mile on turf at Santa Anita in June, was sent from trainer Neil Drysdale’s summer base at Del Mar to Santa Rosa earlier this week for the Burbank.

The goal is to gain a stakes win for Ever Smart’s résumé, Drysdale said. Ever Smart was third by a length in the Golden Poppy Stakes on turf at Golden Gate Fields in April in her last stakes appearance.

“We’re trying to get some black type,” he said.

In the recent win at Santa Anita, Ever Smart closed from third in a field of eight to win by a head after a duel through the stretch.

“It was a good effort,” Drysdale said. “She tries, that filly.”

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