Brickyard Ride to test speed in high-level allowance

By Saturday afternoon, Brickyard Ride may have outgrown allowance races.

The brilliantly fast winner of two allowance races at Santa Anita in fall, Brickyard Ride is expected to set the pace in an allowance race at five furlongs Saturday at Los Alamitos.

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Success on Saturday could lead to the colt’s stakes debut in the $150,000 California Cup Sprint for statebreds at six furlongs on Jan. 16 at Santa Anita.

“That’s the tentative plan, unless he lays an egg,” trainer Craig Lewis said.

Owned by Sonny Pais, the 3-year-old Brickyard Ride has won 5 of 10 starts in a career that began with a last-place finish in a maiden special weight at Del Mar in August 2019. Brickyard Ride rebounded to win a $50,000 claimer for maidens in his next start. He has not raced for a claiming price since.

At Santa Anita, Brickyard Ride won an allowance race at six furlongs on Sept. 27 and followed with a win in an allowance race at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf Oct. 24.

In Saturday’s allowance, Lewis expects apprentice jockey Alexis Centeno to have Brickyard Ride on the lead.

“He likes to hear his feet rattle,” Lewis said. “It will be interesting. We will be going.”

The field includes the former $10,000 claimer Fast Cotton, who has run with success in recent starts in 1,000-yard races against Quarter Horses at Los Alamitos, often showing speed, and the multiple stakes winner Anyportinastorm.

The allowance race is worth $55,000, with an additional $16,500 available to California-breds. If Brickyard Ride wins, the winner’s share of the purse would be $42,900.

“It’s a like a stakes for us,” Lewis said.

Anyportinastorm finished fifth of eight in an allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs on Nov. 8 at Del Mar in his first start for trainer Peter Miller. Anyportinastorm set the pace and faded in the last furlong.

“The track was real deep and heavy, and I don’t think he cared for it,” Miller said. “That’s what I took from it.”

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With Brickyard Ride in Saturday’s race, Anyportinastorm is likely to stalk the pace, Miller said, even though the 6-year-old horse has disputed the pace in many of his recent starts.

“I think we’re going to sit,” Miller said.

The field of eight includes stakes winners Ghoul, Mr Vargas, and Sparky Ville, and the stakes-placed Manhattan Up and Ultimate Bango.

Miller said a successful race from Anyportinastorm could lead to an appearance in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes at six furlongs on Jan., 23 at Santa Anita, although the stable also has C Z Rocket under consideration for the same race.

C Z Rocket was second in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.