B Squared looks a cut above in turf sprint

ARCADIA, Calif. – Want to study past performances to find the winner of the race-5 feature Friday at Santa Anita? Easy enough. He is right there in black and white.

Horse-for-course B Squared drops in class and returns to the downhill layout on which he ran the best race of his career. His speed figures are creditable, his versatile running style should lead to a good trip. The only knock is price. B Squared is the likely favorite.

Want a tip from an insider for the feature? Okay. What does trainer Doug O’Neill think about the chances of B Squared?

“I love him,” O’Neill said. “He’s got a great post on the outside … very excited about his chances.”

By conventional handicapping or trainer endorsement, B Squared is the horse to beat against eight rivals in the second-level allowance/optional $62,500 claiming sprint at 6 1/2 furlongs on the hill.

The field includes a handful of course specialists. In addition to B Squared, others with downhill wins include The Critical Way, Incensed, Cimpl Man, and Tristan’s Trilogy. Double Touch, Desert Law, Eric the Trojan, and Aristocratic also were entered.

B Squared will face allowance rivals for the first time. After winning his debut last March, he raced in 11 consecutive stakes, winning two – a turf route at Golden Gate last spring and the $100,000 California Flag Stakes on the Santa Anita hill last fall.

Owned and bred by J. Paul Reddam, B Squared will be ridden again by Mario Gutierrez. After facing the likes of Edwards Going Left, Roy H, West Coast, and Battle of Midway, B Squared will get major class relief Friday.

With the scratch of O’Neill trainee Winning Element from race 8, B Squared looks like the most probable winner on the card. O’Neill has started eight favorites this meet on turf – and the result has been five wins and two seconds.

B Squared’s main rival is the The Critical Way, whose highly rated $50,000 claiming turf sprint victory two back compares favorably to some of B Squared’s recent races. Kent Desormeaux takes over for Corey Nakatani on the Mick Ruis-trained gelding.

Desert Law earned high speed figures on dirt last fall, but is unproven on turf. Cimpl Man has won a second-level allowance; he is entered for the optional $62,5000 claiming tag.

Incensed and Aristocratic are expected to contest the pace. The course was decidedly pro-speed from early January to early February, but the profile has changed. Only two of the last eight turf sprints were won by the pacesetter.