Brickyard Ride possible for two Del Mar stakes
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A specific race is undetermined, but the eight-time stakes winner Brickyard Ride is scheduled to have his next start at the Del Mar summer meeting that begins on July 21.
On Thursday at Santa Anita, Brickyard Ride worked a half-mile in 47.60 seconds, his first major exercise since he finished a well-beaten third of four in the Thor’s Echo Stakes for California-bred sprinters on May 28.
Brickyard Ride, who won the Grade 3 Kona Gold Stakes for sprinters at Santa Anita in April, disputed the early pace in the Thor’s Echo Stakes before fading to finish 12 1/4 lengths behind race winner The Chosen Vron.
The loss left trainer Craig Lewis concerned that Brickyard Ride may not be as effective as he was when the 6-year-old horse won four consecutive stakes in early 2022.
“He might not be as good as he once was,” Lewis said. “Or, he was down on the inside and took a lot of pressure. We had to have everything go right and it didn’t.”
Lewis said on Thursday that races such as the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs or the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles are under consideration. Both races will be run on July 29.
The $400,000 Bing Crosby Stakes offers an automatic berth for the winner to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 4.
Early candidates for the Bing Crosby include Spirit of Makena, who won the Grade 2 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita on May 27; The Chosen Vron, who has won his last seven starts; and American Theorem, who won the 2022 Bing Crosby and is entered in an allowance race at Santa Anita on Friday.
Trainer Eric Kruljac said on Thursday that the Chosen Vron is also under consideration for the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at seven furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 26.
The $300,000 San Diego Handicap would be Brickyard Ride’s first start around two turns since he won the Tiznow Stakes for statebreds at a mile by 7 1/2 lengths as the 3-5 favorite at Santa Anita in February 2021.
“I’m thinking about stretching him out,” Lewis said. “Nothing is etched in stone. We’ll see how he trains and go from there.”
Owned by Sonny Pais, Brickyard Ride has won 13 of 26 starts and earned $828,977. The half-mile exercise on Thursday was one of the faster times of the morning at the distance.
“He looked good,” Lewis said. “He worked well within himself.”
Lewis said that Brickyard Ride is “unlikely” to start in the $100,000 Bertrando Stakes for statebred milers at Los Alamitos on June 24. Kruljac also said that The Chosen Vron is doubtful for the Bertrando.
The Bertrando Stakes is one of three stakes at the Los Angeles County Fair meeting at Los Alamitos, which runs from June 23 to July 9.
Santa Anita concludes its winter-spring meeting this Sunday.
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