Celebrity Status tries to end losing streak Sunday

CYPRESS, Calif. – Celebrity Status is winless in the last 19 months, a losing streak that has not diminished his status in trainer Don Warren’s stable.

“He’s a professional racehorse,” Kenny Black, Warren’s assistant, said Friday.

Black thinks Celebrity Status can end a 10-race losing streak in an optional claimer over six furlongs Sunday at Los Alamitos.

Celebrity Status was beaten a nose in an optional claimer over seven furlongs Oct. 31 at Santa Anita and was last of six in the Cary Grant Stakes for California-breds over seven furlongs Nov. 23 at Del Mar.

The optional claimer Sunday is the top race on a nine-race program, the closing day of the Los Alamitos December Thoroughbred meeting. The Santa Anita winter-spring meeting begins Friday.

The optional claimer drew a field of nine.

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Key contenders

Celebrity Status (Last 3 Beyers: 84-93-77)

* Black said his one concern about Sunday’s optional claimer is the distance.

“It might be a little short for him,” he said.

* Owned by Bud and Judy Johnston and Cherry Hawk Stables, the 5-year-old Celebrity Status is a threat as a stalker.

* Black said the gelding is a reliable horse in training and racing.

“He’s a machine out there,” he said. “When you jog him, you can wave your hand in front of him and it doesn’t bother him. He acts like he’s on a mission.”

* Celebrity Status is closely related to the Warren-trained Acceptance, the winner of two stakes for California-bred 2-year-olds this year. Celebrity Status is out of A Lucky Happening, by Something Lucky. Acceptance’s second dam is A Lucky Happening.

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Conscience (Last 3 Beyers: 79-90-73)

* Conscience won a maiden race over 6 1/2 furlongs Aug. 2 at Del Mar in his second start and was fifth in his only start of the autumn in an optional claimer over 1 1/16 miles Oct. 11 at Santa Anita.

* Aimee Dollase, assistant to trainer Tom Proctor, said she has been trying to enter Conscience for a while.

* Dollase sees ample room for improvement in Conscience, a 3-year-old gelding by Indian Charlie.

“He’s young as far as experience,” she said.

* Conscience, who will be ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, is likely to be near the front and will be joined in that position by Bobo, who has struggled to keep pace in recent starts in optional claimers.