Bettys Bambino streaks into Sensational Star

ARCADIA, Calif. – A year ago, Bettys Bambino was an unraced 4-year-old. On Saturday, he tries to win for the sixth time in his 10th start in the $100,000 Sensational Star Stakes for California-breds at Santa Anita.

A lot has happened in the last year for Bettys Bambino. He has won three straight races, including the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course Dec. 28. The Sensational Star is the first race since the Daytona for Bettys Bambino, who is trained by Peter Eurton and races for Sharon Alesia, Bran Jam Stable, and Ciaglia Racing.

The Sensational Star will be run on the hillside turf course, on which Bettys Bambino has won 4 of 5 starts.

Bettys Bambino is one of seven stakes winners in a field of eight in the Sensational Star, including Spirit Rules, who won the California Cup Sprint on dirt last month, and Ambitious Brew, who won the 2014 Sensational Star.

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KEY CONTENDERS Bettys Bambino (Last 3 Beyers: 93-93-89)

◗ Bettys Bambino’s winning streak includes an allowance race last September and an optional claimer in October. In his three most recent wins, Bettys Bambino has shown the ability to lead throughout and to come from off the pace.

“He’s so good down the hill,” Eurton said. “He seems to handle everything. He has the perfect style for that course. He’s push-button. He’ll be galloping on the lead and accelerate.”

◗ Bettys Bambino has earned $258,036.

◗ Eurton said the gelding was plagued by a series of injuries as a 2- and 3-year-old that postponed the start of his career.

“A lot of minor bony things – shoulder, tibia, a shin,” Eurton said.

Big Bane Theory (Last 3 Beyers: 92-95-90)

◗ Big Bane Theory won the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile on turf here last October but is winless in his last four starts, including a fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile last fall and a fourth in the California Cup Turf Classic at 1 1/8 miles on turf for California-breds on Jan. 24.

◗ The second- and third-place finishers of the Cal Cup Turf Classic – Boozer and Patriots Rule – are part of the Sensational Star field. Big Bane Theory was beaten three-quarters of a length by winner Alert Bay in the Cal Cup Turf Classic.

◗ Trainer Carla Gaines said the Cal Cup Turf Classic did not set up for Big Bane Theory, who is a threat from off the pace.

“In his last few races, there has been no pace,” she said. “I’m looking for a race with pace.”

Ambitious Brew (Last 3 Beyers: 91-93-96)

◗ Trained by Marty Jones, Ambitious Brew was seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on the hillside turf course last November. He closed from 12th in a field of 14 and was beaten three lengths by Bobby’s Kitten.

“He didn’t break very good,” Jones said. “He lost his position, and in a race like that against those horses, you can’t make any mistakes.”