Koriner enters final week of meet with hot hand

CYPRESS, Calif. – In one sense, the first two weeks of the Los Angeles County Fair meeting at Los Alamitos were perfect for trainer Brian Koriner. All six of his starters finished in the top three, and three won.

The final week of the meeting begins Thursday, and Koriner expects more success. He has three runners on Thursday’s eight-race program – Sharp Holiday in the first race, Lucky Tommy in the third race, and Two Thirty Five in the fifth race.

“I feel like I entered two winners,” he said on Sunday. “I’ll probably be wrong.”

Wisecracking aside, Koriner’s stable is in excellent form, and not just at Los Alamitos. He had a fine summer at Del Mar, winning with six of 29 starters.

The three runners on Thursday are in claiming races. There are no stakes or allowance races on the program.

Sharp Holiday, well regarded by Koriner, runs in a $16,000 claimer for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs. She set the pace in a $25,000 claimer for nonwinners of two at seven furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 19 before fading to third.

Trainer Vladimir Cerin has two leading chances in the first race – Sooner Time and Octofy, each second at Del Mar last out.

Lucky Tommy runs in an $8,000 claimer for nonwinners of two at five furlongs. He won a maiden claimer at Santa Anita in June but was fifth and eighth in $16,000 claimers for nonwinners of two at Del Mar.

“Lucky Tommy is in a good spot,” Koriner said. “He runs really good or bad. Lucky Tommy is an oddball. I’m not counting on him.”

Etailer, fourth in a $14,000 claimer at Del Mar on Aug. 27, will be well backed in the third race. Trained by Doug O’Neill, Etailer broke poorly in his last start.

Two Thirty Five runs in a $30,000 claiming race for maidens at 5 1/2 furlongs. The gelding was fifth in a $50,000 claimer for maidens at Del Mar on Sept. 2.

Koriner rates Two Thirty Five as having a “live” chance. He has worked quickly at Los Alamitos since his debut earlier this month.

Art Sherman has a contender in Jack the Closer, who was third in a similar race here at five furlongs on Sept. 9.

On Saturday, Cash Prize scored a $51.40 upset for Koriner in a maiden race for California-bred 2-year-old fillies. The win surprised Koriner, who said Cash Prize received gate approval Sept. 13, only four days before the race.

“She’s never worked away from the gate in company,” Koriner said. “She’s got a long way to go. She either ran scared around there or she’s really good.”