Border Town switches to dirt for Los Alamitos Special

The 5-year-old gelding Border Town began the year with promise, winning a one-mile allowance race on turf at Santa Anita in January and finishing third in the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes on turf in February.

As the season progressed, the results did not continue, leading to a career change. Sunday, Border Town will make his 17th start, and first on dirt, in the $100,000 Los Alamitos Special at 1 1/16 miles.

“He’s always worked really good on dirt and made us want to try it,” trainer Richard Mandella said Friday.

Owned by Ramona and Perry Bass, Border Town started once at the Del Mar summer meeting, finishing fourth in the restricted Wickerr Stakes at a mile on turf in his fourth loss in a stakes this year.

“He’s always runs well, just not well enough,” Mandella said. “We’re trying to turn it up a notch.”

Drayden Van Dyke will ride Border Town for the first time Sunday.

The Los Alamitos Special is the richest race of the three-week Los Angeles County fair meeting and is restricted to non-winners of a stakes worth $50,000 or more at a mile. The race drew a field of six, including two 5-year-old geldings trained by Mark Glatt in Bold Endeavor and Sash.

Bold Endeavor was third in an allowance race at a mile on Aug. 22 at Del Mar, finishing 4 1/4 lengths behind stakes winner Azul Coast. Sash was seventh in an allowance race at a mile on turf on Aug. 29. The Los Alamitos Special will be Sash’s first start on dirt since a third behind Heywoods Beach and Bold Endeavor in an allowance race at 1 1/4 miles at Santa Anita in May.

Trainer Bob Baffert has two runners in Leading Score and Magic On Tap.

Leading Score is a 7-year-old with only 10 starts. Second and third in two minor stakes in 2019, Leading Score missed all of 2020 and was eighth of nine in his lone start this year in an allowance race at seven furlongs at Santa Anita in April.

Leading Score has had a series of quick workouts in recent weeks.

Magic On Tap won the Grade 2 Triple Bend Handicap at seven furlongs at Santa Anita in May, but struggled against the circuit’s leading older males at Del Mar, finishing fifth in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on July 17 and last of nine in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles on Aug. 21.

Manhattan Up was claimed for $80,000 on Aug. 22 at Del Mar by trainer Jonathan Wong on behalf of KAM Racing Stables. Manhattan Up was fourth in a one-mile optional claimer that day, finishing behind Bold Endeavor.

In June, Manhattan Up was a game second to the graded stakes winner Midcourt in an allowance race at a mile at Santa Anita. A repeat of that performance would put Manhattan Up in contention.

Manhattan Up will be fitted with blinkers for the first time in his 22nd start on Sunday.