Brickyard Ride makes rare turf start in Sensational Star
The last time Brickyard Ride raced on turf – in an allowance race at 5 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita in October 2020 – he took his usual position at the front and was never troubled, winning easily.
Brickyard Ride has been so sharp on dirt in the last 18 months that he has not raced on turf since that win. On Sunday, that will change when Brickyard Ride will have his 21st start, but only fifth on grass, in the $100,000 Sensational Star Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs for California-breds on the hillside turf course.
Brickyard Ride, owned and bred by Sonny Pais and trained by Craig Lewis, will be favored to record his sixth stakes win in his first start on the hillside course.
“I’m always concerned about the unknown, and that’s the issue,” Lewis said. “We’re hopeful that he can handle it. He gives every appearance that he will be able to.
“He’s in good form and he’s a good horse.”
Brickyard Ride is unbeaten in two starts at the meet and has already handled one different assignment. Brickyard Ride won the California Cup Sprint at six furlongs in January for the second consecutive year in his first start since August. On Feb. 21, Brickyard Ride had his stakes debut at a mile, and easily conquered four rivals with a 7 1/2-length win as the odds-on favorite in the Tiznow Stakes for statebreds.
Lewis entered Brickyard Ride in the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs on March 5, but decided the short gap between the San Carlos and Tiznow would not work in the horse’s favor.
“I thought it was a little quick,” Lewis said. “I’m looking at the long haul.”
Brickyard Ride’s speed is one of his best assets. In the eight-runner Sensational Star, Brickyard Ride is expected to set the pace, but could face some pressure from Jetovator or Whooping Jay.
Jetovator has not raced since he finished fourth as the 9-5 favorite in the 2021 Sensational Star Stakes. Whooping Jay set the pace in an optional claimer on the hillside turf course on Feb. 5, but faded to finish ninth of 10. Whooping Jay was eligible to be claimed for $80,000 in that race.
Fashionably Fast and Indian Peak are likely to pose a more significant threat to Brickyard Ride. They tend to race from near the front but from off the pace.
Fashionably Fast, a six-time stakes winner, is winless in three starts on turf in his 28-race career, but the most recent of those was in 2019. Fashionably Fast, 7, was third in an allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs on Feb. 4 in his lone start this year.
Indian Peak won the California Flag Stakes for statebreds on the hillside turf course last October at 16-1 and was second to the highly regarded Barraza in the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes on the hillside on Oct. 20.
“He loves running down the hill,” trainer Ruben Alvarado said. “With Cal-breds, he can be a different horse.”