Brandothebartender a Sensational Star top contender

When Brandothebartender finished second by three-quarters of a length in an optional claimer at Santa Anita on Feb. 23, trainer Craig Dollase rated the performance as a victory.

“He ran a winning race and got caught at the wire,” he said.

The optional claimer was Brandothebartender’s second start following a layoff of nearly six months. In the first start of his comeback, Brandothebartender was third of five in a productive running of the California Cup Sprint on dirt in January.

Brandothebartender’s third race of the year will be Sunday’s $100,000 Sensational Star Stakes for California-breds at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf. The conditions are an ideal fit for the 7-year-old gelding, who won the California Flag Stakes for statebreds at five furlongs on turf here in October 2018.

“He’s rounding into form right now,” Dollase said.

Owned by Flawless Racing, Brian Flanagan, and Michael Jarvis, Brandothebartender is one of eight stakes winners entered in the Sensational Star, which drew 11, but will have a maximum of 10 starters. Tap the Wire, the winner of the 2018 Graduation Stakes at Del Mar, is on the also-eligible list.

Dollase is hopeful Brandothebartender can race from a stalking position despite the sizable field.

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“We should get a good trip,” Dollase said. “We’ll have to save a little ground and hopefully he can move out and make his run.”

The field includes Castle, who won the 2019 California Flag; Lieutenant Dan, who was second in the California Cup Sprint; Wound Tight, who won the Unusual Heat Turf Classic at 1 1/8 miles in January; and the stakes-winning mares Just Grazed Me and Stealthediamonds.

The mares were scheduled to start in Sunday’s $100,000 Irish O’Brien Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares, but the race failed to draw sufficient entries. Stealthediamonds and Just Grazed Me were first and second in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint at 5 1/2 furlongs in January.

Trainer Mike Puype said on Thursday that Stealthediamonds is not a certain starter in the Sensational Star.

Puype will start Tigre Di Slugo, a 5-year-old horse who has won two of three starts and will have his turf and stakes debut on Sunday, and The Hunted, who recently joined his stable.

Tigre Di Slugo raced in traffic when third in an optional claimer on Jan. 18, and was the sharp winner of an optional claimer at six furlongs on Feb. 18.

“Our only thing is we wanted to try the grass,” Puype said. “If he can run on the grass, it opens up a lot of doors. The grass is a financial windfall if he can do it.

“He’s coming around. He’s nice. The 5 1/2 may not be perfect. I wish it was further.”

The Hunted won the Crystal Water Stakes for statebreds at a mile on turf last April. He was one of five runners recently sent to Puype from trainer Richard Baltas’s stable that are owned or co-owned by the Little Red Feather Racing syndicate, Puype said.