Brickyard Ride leads all the way in San Carlos Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - The dazzling speed of Brickyard Ride has made the 4-year-old colt a multiple stakes winner after two starts this year at Santa Anita. Brickyard Ride won his stakes debut in the $153,000 California Cup Sprint against statebreds at six furlongs on Jan. 16 and his graded stakes debut in the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs Saturday.

Ridden by apprentice jockey Alexis Centeno, Brickyard Ride led throughout, winning by four lengths over 2-1 favorite Tigre Di Slugo.

Brickyard Ride set torrid fractions of 21.63 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 43.93 seconds for a half-mile, and was not challenged. Brickyard Ride ($12) finished in 1:21.51. Brickyard ride was given a 100 Beyer Speed Figure.

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Trainer Craig Lewis predicted earlier in the week Brickyard Ride would lead, but worried about the longer sprint distance. In the end, the concern was not justified.

“I never broke into a sweat,” Lewis said as he left the winner’s circle. “At the three-sixteenths pole, I started to feel good. He never looked like he was under any pressure.”

Brickyard Ride had a five-length advantage with a furlong remaining.

Tigre Di Slugo, second in the Cal Cup Sprint, closed from fourth to finish a nose in front of Exaulted, who had his stakes debut in the $202,000 San Carlos Stakes.

Major Cabbie, unraced in more than 14 months, finished fourth, followed by Storm the Court, Manhattan Up, Strongconstitution, Extra Hope, and Loud Mouth.

Storm the Court, the champion 2-year-old male of 2019, was as close as second after a half-mile, trailing at that point by four lengths, but faded through the stretch to finish 7 1/4 lengths behind Brickyard Ride.

Brickyard Ride has won 7 of 13 starts and has earned $380,277 for owner and breeder Sonny Pais, who attended the San Carlos.

By Clubhouse Ride, Brickyard Ride has won four of his last five starts, a span that includes two allowance races on dirt and turf here last fall and a last-place finish in a field of seven at Los Alamitos on Dec. 12 after a poor start.

Clubhouse Ride is the first graded stakes winner for the 27-year-old Centeno, and seventh winner of the winter-spring meeting.