Brickyard Ride leads the way in Sensational Star

ARCADIA, Calif. - A start over a new surface was no issue for Brickyard Ride, who won his third consecutive stakes in Sunday’s $101,500 Sensational Star Stakes for California-breds on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Brickyard Ride ($3.40) took the lead shortly after the stretch, scorched his way down the hill and held a comfortable advantage to the wire, finishing about 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:11.45 in his debut on the unique course.

Brickyard Ride won two stakes on dirt for statebreds earlier this year - the California Cup Sprint at six furlongs in January and the Tiznow Stakes at a mile on Feb. 21, never facing a challenge. The same occurred in the Sensational Star.

Brickyard Ride led through a quick pace of 21.21 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 42.76 for a half-mile, holding an advantage of at least 1 1/2 lengths.

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“He’s not the quickest from the gate, but after a stride or two, he’s fast,” winning trainer Craig Lewis said. “He looked like he was going easy and I saw the first split and thought, ‘Holy cow.’ ”

As the field crossed from the hillside turf course onto the main turf oval, Brickyard Ride extended his lead to more than three lengths in the stretch and won by 1 1/2 lengths over 7-2 Indian Peak.

“He was ready,” Hernandez said. “I crossed the dirt pretty good. When I asked him to go, he picked it up. He never stopped.”

Indian Peak, the winner of the California Flag Stakes for statebreds on the hillside turf course in October, was second. Indian Peak was second in the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes on the hillside turf course on Feb. 20.

“He ran really well,” jockey John Velazquez said of Indian Peak’s performance Sunday. “The leader didn’t stop.”

Riding With Dino (6-1) finished third, followed by Whooping Jay, Big Fish, Fashionably Fast, Sacred Rider and Jetovator.

Jetovator propped as he approached the dirt crossing when racing in fourth, and faded through the stretch.

Brickyard Ride, a 5-year-old horse by Clubhouse Ride, races for owner and breeder Sonny Pais. A five-time stakes winner, Brickyard Ride has won 11 of 21 starts and earned $680,977.

The Sensational Star was Brickyard Ride’s first start on turf since a win in an allowance race at 5 1/2 furlongs on the main turf oval at Santa Anita in October 2020.

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Brickyard Ride earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 95. The Sensational Star Stakes was one of four wins on Sunday for Hernandez.