Bertrando Stakes win on dirt opens new avenues for Boozer

CYPRESS, Calif. - At 6, Boozer may be on the verge of a career change.

Saturday at Los Alamitos, Boozer won the third stakes of his career in the $100,345 Bertrando Stakes for California-breds, his stakes debut on dirt. The win left trainer Mark Glatt contemplating other stakes on dirt in coming weeks, such as the $150,000 Tiznow Stakes for California-breds at a mile at Santa Anita on May 28.

“It adds another dimension,” Glatt said of the win. “It gives us other options.”

Boozer won two stakes for California-breds on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in 18 months – the California Flag Handicap in October 2014, and the Sensational Star Stakes in February. Glatt said he opted to try Boozer in the Bertrando Stakes at the urging of jockey Gary Stevens, who missed the mount on Saturday while riding at Keeneland. Edwin Maldonado replaced Stevens.

“Gary has worked him and said, ‘Don’t hesitate to run him on dirt,’ ” Glatt said in the winner’s circle. “This race didn’t come up very tough.”

Boozer was the only 2016 stakes winner in a field of six, although Awesome Return, Neveradoubt, Poshsky, and Soi Phet were stakes winners in 2014 or 2015. Soi Phet won the 2014 Bertrando Stakes.

Boozer stalked pacesetter Avanti Bello for the first six furlongs before taking the lead early in the long stretch. Boozer ($8) led by 1 1/2 lengths with a furlong remaining, but was tested in the final furlong by Soi Phet, the 3-2 favorite.

“Edwin said that when he opened up he started lollygagging a bit,” Glatt said. “He angled him out to show him that other horse was there.

“I was getting a little nervous. He’s a pretty tough horse. He’s a gamer.”

Owned by Al and Sandee Kirkwood of Washington state, Boozer has won 7 of 22 starts and earned $538,792. By Unusual Heat, a former leading sire in California, Boozer ran in his sixth stakes in the Bertrando.

Boozer is out of Kitty and Boo, a mare by Cape Canaveral who had one win in four starts as a 2-year-old in 2004 while trained by Doug O’Neill. Boozer is Kitty and Boo’s only stakes winner from four foals, all winners.

A gelding, Boozer made his first two starts for his breeders, a partnership that included trainer Barry Abrams, Huston Racing, and Madeline Auerbach. For them, Boozer won a maiden special weight race at Santa Anita in early March 2013.

Boozer began racing for the Kirkwoods and Glatt in the spring of 2013 and won two of his next eight starts through the summer of 2014. The 2014 California Flag was Boozer’s stakes debut. In January 2015, Boozer was second by a neck to Alert Bay in the $250,500 California Cup Turf Classic at Santa Anita.

In January of this year, Glatt started Boozer in an optional claimer against open company at 1 1/16 miles on the main track at Santa Anita as a prep for the Cal Cup Turf Classic. The optional claimer was Boozer’s second start after an eight-month layoff. He set the pace before fading in the final furlong.

“I needed a prep for the Cal Cup,” Glatt said. “I thought he ran well.”

The race was in Glatt’s mind as the Bertrando Stakes grew closer.