Clovisconnection gets class test in Sensational Star Stakes

It did not matter where Clovisconnection raced on the West Coast last summer and fall. He won wherever he was sent – Emerald Downs, Santa Rosa, and Fresno.

Unbeaten in his last four starts, all in stakes, Clovisconnection will race for the first time on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in Sunday’s $100,000 Sensational Star Stakes for California-breds at about 6 1/2 furlongs.

Trainer Blaine Wright considers the Sensational Star Stakes as a prep for the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile on turf on April 27 at Golden Gate Fields as well as a chance to measure where Clovisconnection ranks among stakes runners in Southern California.

“This will be a tell-tale race as to whether I go to Del Mar or go to Pleasanton,” Wright said, mentioning summertime options.

Clovisconnection, owned and bred by William and Judy Hedrick, has won 7 of 10 career starts on turf and dirt, winning stakes from six furlongs on dirt to 1 1/16 miles on turf. The Sensational Star Stakes will be Clovisconnection’s first start since a gritty win by a head in the Harris Farms Stakes for California-breds at six furlongs on dirt at the Big Fresno Fair last October.

In the Sensational Star, Clovisconnection is part of a field of seven that includes Catalina Eddy, the sharp winner of an allowance race against open company on the hillside turf course Feb. 24, and Coalinga Road, who has not raced since he finished third in the Bertrando Stakes for statebred milers on dirt last September at Los Alamitos.

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The Sensational Star Stakes will be Coalinga Road’s first start in a turf sprint since he finished a game second in an allowance race at five furlongs in May 2022 at Santa Anita. Trained by Carla Gaines, Coalinga Road later won the Unusual Heat Turf Classic for statebreds at 1 1/8 miles in January 2023.

Catalina Eddy, trained by Craig Lewis, has yet to win a stakes. The Sensational Star is his second stakes appearance, preceded by an eighth in the Unusual Heat Turf Classic in January in which he faded from contention through the stretch.

Clovisconnection, by Vronsky, was turned out after the win at Fresno. Since resuming workouts at Wright’s base at Golden Gate Fields in January, Clovisconnection has repeatedly had the fastest works of the morning.

“He has a good foundation,” Wright said. “He seems like he’s doing these works kind of easy.”

Jockey William Antongeorgi will ride Clovisconnection, who is quick enough to lead.

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The Sensational Star will be Clovisconnection’s first start at Santa Anita since a fifth-place finish in the Echo Eddie Stakes for statebred 3-year-old sprinters on dirt last April, a loss Wright said should be dismissed.

“He’s definitely a different horse than he was at that point,” he said. “I remember us not having too many [races] to choose from.

“I think those Vronskys get better with a bit of maturity. We’re excited to see what the future holds for us.”

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