Brickyard Ride could get mile under conditions of Tiznow

Brickyard Ride has developed into a highly respected sprinter in Southern California by amassing four stakes wins at Santa Anita in the last 13 months.

A 5-year-old, Brickyard Ride won the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs last March, the highlight of his 2021 season. The current campaign began with an impressive win in the California Cup Sprint against statebreds on Jan. 15, Brickyard Ride’s first start since August.

Sprint stakes clearly work for Brickyard Ride. For now, sprint stakes are on hold.

Monday at Santa Anita, Brickyard Ride will have his stakes debut at a mile in the $100,000 Tiznow Stakes for statebreds. The conditions are ideal to try a new distance. The Tiznow Stakes drew only five runners; Brickyard Ride is the lone stakes winner in the field.

:: For the first time ever, our premium past performances are free! Get free Formulator now!

If Brickyard Ride can be effective at a mile, owner and breeder Sonny Pais and trainer Craig Lewis can plan a campaign that is not restricted to sprints.

“We’ve been hoping to stretch him out and see what he can do and add another dimension to his arsenal,” Lewis said. “If he cannot do it, we’ll go back to sprinting.”

The Tiznow Stakesthe seventh race on the card, is one of two stakes, both for California-breds, on Monday’s eight-race program. The $100,000 Spring Fever Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs is the fifth race.

Brickyard Ride will be ridden by Juan Hernandez in the Tiznow, the fifth consecutive race he will have the mount. In the California Cup Sprint, Hernandez had Brickyard Ride on the front, leading by as many as 3 1/2 lengths in the stretch before winning by 1 3/4 lengths over Positivity.

“I thought he won rather comfortably,” Lewis said. “Juan thought he was home.”

Positivity finished third in a minor handicap at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai on Friday.

:: Win big at Santa Anita: Get DRF Past Performances, Picks, Clocker Reports and Betting Strategies.

In the Tiznow, Seattle Bold, second in two stakes at Golden Gate Fields last spring, may challenge Brickyard Ride for the early lead, but faces a class test.

Peaceful Transfer is effective at a mile. He finished first in the E.B. Johnston Stakes for statebred milers at Los Alamitos in September, only to be disqualified and placed second for causing interference in the stretch. Peaceful Transfer finished seventh of eight in the Cal Cup Sprint, never posing a threat.

Super Game goes for upset

Becca Taylor, unbeaten in five starts, will be favored in the Spring Fever, but the three-time winner Super Game looks dangerous in a field of five.

Trained by Brian Koriner for the partnership of Ed Brown, Alan Klein, and Philip Lebherz, Super Game was the five-length winner of an allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs on dirt on Dec. 26. The race was scheduled for the hillside turf course. Super Game ran for the first time on the hillside turf course in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint for statebreds on Jan. 15, finishing 11th of 12 at 27-1.

“She got shuffled back and I don’t think she ever got into the race,” Koriner said. “It was a complete throw out.”

As disappointing as that race was, Koriner was delighted with Super Game’s win on Dec. 26.

“I didn’t expect her to run that big,” he said. “It was a great effort. If she goes back to that, she should be tough.”

Super Game and Becca Taylor have the outside two post positions in the Spring Fever.

Becca Taylor, trained by Steve Miyadi for owner and breeder Nick Alexander, won her final start of 2021 in the Evening Jewel Stakes for statebred 3-year-old fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita last April. In her 2022 debut, Becca Taylor won a six-furlong allowance race at Golden Gate Fields by four lengths in the best performance of her career, stalking the pace before taking control in early stretch.

A perfect race record as well as the presence of leading rider Flavien Prat will make Becca Taylor the favorite in the Spring Fever.

There are two other stakes winners in the field who will be outsiders.

Governor Goteven won two stakes for statebred 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar in 2020, but is winless in her last six starts. Governor Goteven, trained by Walther Solis, was ninth in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint.

Smiling Shirlee, trained by Koriner, was last in the Sunshine Millions Turf Sprint in her first start in more than 14 months, but did win the 2020 Evening Jewel when trained by Jeff Bonde.