Clockstrikestwelve returns to favorite course in Luther Burbank Stakes

Trainer Jonathan Wong is hoping Clockstrikestwelve’s love for the Golden Gate Fields turf course is enough to get her home first in Saturday’s $50,000 Luther Burbank Stakes. She’s the lone runner in the field of seven fillies and mares in the 1 1/16-mile turf race with two victories over the course.

The Luther Burbank is usually run over the Santa Rosa turf course, but there is no racing there this summer and Golden Gate has taken the Santa Rosa dates.

“It’s obviously huge when you’re proven successful over a course,” said Wong.

“She’s been very honest. She’s a rock-solid mare who always gives 100 percent.”

Clockstrikestwelve won her final three starts last year and first two this year, capped by a victory in a starter-allowance sprint on the main track at Santa Anita in February. She finished far back in two graded stakes at Santa Anita during spring and comes off a second behind runaway odds-on winner Miss Stormy D in the She’s a Tiger at Pleasanton on June 26.

Southern California invader Star of Africa broke her maiden over the course, and Dutch Painting has a win and a second in two starts over the course.

Dutch Painting won 2 of 10 starts in England before shipping to trainer Manuel Badilla for a 2021 U.S. campaign. Dutch Painting won an allowance race over the Golden Gate Tapeta in February and an allowance over the turf here in June. Both wins came in wire-to-wire fashion. In her last start, Dutch Painting led early but settled for second in an allowance over the main track at Pleasanton on July 17.

Star of Africa pressed the pace before fading to sixth in the Grade 3 Santa Barbara at Santa Anita on May 8. She didn’t race again until July 18, when she pressed the pace and finished fourth in a 1 3/8-mile allowance on the Del Mar turf. Star of Africa’s last victory came for a $35,000 tag going a mile over the Santa Anita turf in February.

Dynasty of Her Own, trained by Wong, is looking for her first turf victory in her third start on grass. Last year, she won the California Oaks over the Golden Gate Tapeta.

Three-year-old Misty Cat meets older rivals for the first time. She has a win and two seconds in her last three starts, all over the Golden Gate turf, with her most recent start a nose loss in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race on July 23.