Buck Owens goes longer on home ground
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On consecutive Sundays earlier this month, Buck Owens went from a win in a 1,000-yard allowance race at Los Alamitos as the even-money favorite on Sept. 3 to a third-place finish at 67-1 in an allowance race at Del Mar a week later.
For his third start of September, Buck Owens starts on friendly territory in an allowance race at a mile for statebreds at Los Alamitos on Sunday’s final day of the two-week September meeting.
Santa Anita begins its six-week autumn meeting next Friday, a season that includes the Breeders’ Cup races on Nov. 3-4.
Sunday’s program at Los Alamitos was supposed to include the $100,000 Capote Stakes for 2-year-olds at six furlongs, but the race failed to draw sufficient entries.
Instead, there are two allowance races on a nine-race closing-day program that includes a mandatory payout in the $2 pick six that covers the fourth through ninth races.
Buck Owens is part of the ninth race in a field of seven that includes the recent turf runners Luka Grazie and Wine and Whisky; Jerry Jeff Walker, a winner on the synthetic track at Golden Gate Fields on Aug. 28; and Cowboy Mike, who faded to finish last of eight in an allowance race for statebred milers on Aug. 13 at Del Mar.
Buck Owens has yet to win at a mile. Sunday’s race can show whether he is more than a late-running sprinter. He won for the first time in his career in his eighth start in a $50,000 claimer for maidens at 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita in June.
This is the first start at a mile for Buck Owens since he finished last of 12 in an allowance race on turf July 30 at Del Mar. He raced near the front before fading.
Jerry Jeff Walker won a conditional $20,000 claimer from the front on Aug. 28 at Golden Gate Fields for his second career win at a mile.
Cowboy Mike was well beaten on Aug. 13 in his first start against winners. He has yet to finish first in five starts. On July 23 at Del Mar, Cowboy Mike finished second by a nose in a maiden race and was promoted to first when Don’t Fight the Fed was disqualified for causing interference in the stretch.
Cowboy Mike has worked well at Los Alamitos since his recent loss for trainer Bob Baffert, who figures to play his typical prominent role on Sunday’s program.
In the fifth race, a maiden for 2-year-olds at seven furlongs, Baffert starts Ultra Power, who was a disappointing last in field of six after a wide trip in a maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 25 at Del Mar.
Ultra Power will be ridden by Juan Hernandez, who has three mounts for Baffert on Sunday, including Cowboy Mike.
Ultra Power is part of a field of six that includes Miracle Mark, who finished fourth in a maiden race at a mile on Aug. 26 at Del Mar but was promoted to third after Mirahmadi was disqualified from third for causing interference.
Mirahmadi later finished a game second in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 10.
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