California-bred turf sprints featured

ARCADIA, Calif. – Speed is the theme Friday at Santa Anita, where the final seven races on the eight-race card are sprints, including a pair of turf allowances at five furlongs and a maiden dash for statebred 2-year-olds at 4 1/2 furlongs.

Trainers Gary Sherlock and Doug O’Neill, who split the meet’s first juvenile races for fillies last week, try to strike again Friday with juvenile colts in race 3. Sherlock-trained Side Street Dave and O’Neill-trained Zero Down are the principals in an overflow field.

Side Street Dave has outworked modest company in the morning, according to National Turf workout analyst Andy Harrington. If the son of first-crop sire Govenor Charlie runs like he trains, Side Street Dave could become the sire’s first winner.

Zero Down, meanwhile, begins his career with a recognized pedigree. He is a full brother to 2-year-old debut winner Not Enough Eddie and debut stakes runner-up How About Zero. O’Neill expects a good effort from Zero Down.

“We’re optimistic,” O’Neill said. “He’s training well, he’s gate-okayed. Being by Square Eddie, he’s got all kinds of different options – turf, dirt, route, short.”

The two juvenile races for fillies last week attracted only 11 total runners, but the juvenile race Friday drew 12 entrants. Eight can start. The field includes Cal’s Gem, Shady Empire, You’reright Again, and Pour On the Cole.

One of the first-level allowance turf sprints is for California-bred 3-year-olds and up, and the other is for 3-year-old fillies. Race 5 for Cal-breds is deep. Teacher’s Treasure, a sharp third last out on dirt, removes blinkers, while Psycho Dar makes his second start following a layoff and looms an upset candidate. Sir Eddie, Morgan S., and first-time turf Prodigal Son each have a look.

Race 7, for fillies, is more significant. A handful of the entrants including Holly Hundy eventually will stretch out to stakes. If the race had been May 12 as originally scheduled, Holly Hundy would have run there, followed by the Grade 3 Honeymoon on June 1.

“I would prefer to go longer,” trainer Vladimir Cerin said. “I was hoping the race be used [May 12] so I could try and run long in the stakes race. Now, it’s 15 days apart.”

Holly Hundy scored a sharp maiden win last out that makes her the one to beat, but the one to catch is Square Peggy, who wheels back 19 days after a fast-paced wire job against statebred fillies and mares.

Trainer Brian Koriner is not concerned she could regress wheeling back on short notice. “I think she might even run a little better because she’s had a trip over that [course],” he said. “I think she’ll be okay.”

Square Peggy has a shot to wire the field. Other entrants include Velvet Queen, Devils Dance, and Muthhila.