Intimidate will try dirt in King Glorious Stakes

CYPRESS, Calif. – Intimidate lost his unbeaten record with a dreadful trip in the Golden Nugget Stakes at Golden Gate Fields. From trainer Bob Hess Sr.’s recollection, the situation could have been much worse. Intimidate was crowded severely at the start.

“We were lucky he didn’t go down,” Hess said. “It wasn’t very good. He lost all chance.”

Intimidate, who had won his two previous starts, finished sixth in the Golden Nugget and was placed fifth after a rival was disqualified for causing interference. All three of his starts have come at six furlongs, and on Saturday Intimidate goes a mile in the $100,000 King Glorious Stakes for 2-year-old California-breds at Los Alamitos.

Hess, 83, is based at Golden Gate Fields and has sent Intimidate to his son Bob Hess Jr., 52, in Southern California. The King Glorious Stakes will be Intimidate’s first start on dirt.

Mike Smith has been booked to ride Intimidate, who won a maiden race in September in his debut and an optional claimer in October racing on the Tapeta at Golden Gate Fields.

“I don’t know if he’ll run long,” Hess Sr. said. “I don’t know if he’ll run on the dirt. He ran good on the synthetic.”

Eventually, Hess said he would like to try Intimidate on turf. Intimidate is by Vronsky.

“Most Vronskys do run on the turf,” he said.

Intimidate was bred in California by Don Muldoon of Vancouver, British Columbia, and is owned by Muldoon, Maria Hess, and Jim Eaton. Hess sent Intimidate to Southern California in late November to give the colt a chance to acclimate to dirt tracks.

“I wanted to get him down there and get him used to the surroundings,” he said.

The projected field for the King Glorious Stakes is led by Bookies Luck, who won the Golden State Juvenile at Del Mar on Nov. 4. Trained by Jeff Bonde, Bookies Luck has won 3 of 6 starts and earned $214,649. The King Glorious Stakes will be the first start at a mile for Bookies Luck.

The King Glorious Stakes is the final stakes of the Los Alamitos December meeting, which ends on Sunday. Santa Anita opens its winter-spring meeting on Dec. 26. There is no racing in California next week.