Big City Lights tries downhill turf in California Flag Handicap

In the last five years, Big City Lights has established a fine reputation as a main-track sprinter in California, winning six stakes.

What’s missing is an extensive background on turf, making the 7-year-old horse’s first appearance at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course in Saturday’s $100,000 California Flag Handicap for statebreds at Santa Anita even more intriguing.

“We’ve always wanted to try it,” trainer Richard Mandella said.

Big City Lights, owned by Bill Peeples, has raced once on turf, finishing ninth by 3 1/4 lengths in the Stormy Liberal Stakes at five furlongs last November at Del Mar. Mandella insists Big City Lights delivered a good performance.

“It was too short,” Mandella said. “He was running at the end.”

Big City Lights has won 2 of 3 starts this year. He won an allowance race at seven furlongs on May 2 and the Thor’s Echo Stakes for statebreds at six furlongs on May 23. In the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at seven furlongs on Aug. 29 at Del Mar, Big City Lights finished third by a length.

In his three starts this year, Big City Lights has raced as a stalker and finished well. A similar trip in the California Flag Handicap may be essential, considering that five of the other runners – Boss Sully, Chromeflash, Flyover, Lonesome Stew, and On the Whim – have won on the hillside. Steak Fries was second in his only start on the unique course in May.

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Flyover is in the midst of a strong year, having won 2 of 4 starts for trainer John Sadler. In the spring, Flyover won consecutive stakes for statebreds in the Sensational Star Stakes on the hillside turf course in March and the Crystal Water Stakes for turf milers in May. In his only start at Del Mar, Flyover was fourth by two lengths in an allowance race at five furlongs on turf on July 19. The first three finishers are graded stakes winners.

Flyover was scratched from the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on Aug. 22 in favor of a start on Saturday.

“We thought, let’s stay with statebreds,” Sadler said. “This is a race we’ve been saving him for.”

Flyover is fast enough to lead, as is Boss Sully, who won the Siren Lure Stakes at six furlongs on the main turf course at Santa Anita in May. Boss Sully has not raced since he finished last of eight in the Harvey Pack Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf on July 5 at Saratoga.

“He bled,” trainer Brian Koriner said. “He had a rough go. Definitely throw that race out.”

Boss Sully won on the hillside turf course in an allowance race in October 2023, his last start against statebreds.

Koriner said he has been encouraged by Boss Sully’s recent series of workouts, including a half-mile in 46.80 seconds last Sunday.

“He’s himself right now,” Koriner said. “We look for a good effort.”

They are far from the only three contenders.

A fast pace also will help Lonesome Stew, who won the 2025 Sensational Star Stakes. Trained by Mark Glatt, Lonesome Stew was the sharp winner of an allowance race at a mile on turf against open company Aug. 22 at Del Mar in the good time of 1:34.07.

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