Boss Sully was a surprising third at 44-1 in the Stormy Liberal Stakes for turf sprinters at Del Mar last December in his final start of 2024, missing a win by 1 1/2 lengths. The narrow loss gives Boss Sully a leading chance in an allowance race at six furlongs on turf at Santa Anita on Saturday in his 2025 debut. Trained by Brian Koriner, Boss Sully has worked steadily since mid-January for his return. “We’re excited,” Koriner said on Thursday. “He’s training very good for the comeback.” Boss Sully has won 3 of 12 starts and has placed in two stakes, including the Snow Chief Stakes for California-bred 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Santa Anita in May 2023. :: Playing Santa Anita? Get the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances, Picks, and Clocker Reports available now. Last year, Boss Sully had four starts, all in turf sprints, beginning with a win in an allowance race at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar in August. In the Stormy Liberal Stakes, Boss Sully stalked early leader Sassy Nature and got within a half-length of the front in the stretch before finishing behind the closer Unconquerable Keen and Sorrento Sky. “He ran big in his last race at Del Mar,” Koriner said of Boss Sully. On Feb. 16 at Santa Anita, Sorrento Sky and Unconquerable Keen were first and third in a five-furlong allowance race on turf. Boss Sully, who races for the partnership of Philip Lebherz, Alan Klein. and Rusty Brown, is quick enough to lead, although that may not be the style jockey Armando Ayuso utilizes against seven rivals on Saturday. “He doesn’t have to be on the lead,” Koriner said. “He can lay right off and fire.” Through Sunday, Koriner, 58, was winless with 16 runners at the current Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, which began on Dec. 26. He has had eight runners finish second or third, including Smiling Beast in the California Cup Sprint for statebreds in January. Only one of Koriner’s runners at the current meeting has been favored. That was Fire Ban, who finished second on Feb. 9. “I haven’t run many horses and I haven’t run many live ones,” Koriner said. “It’s nice to get a good one [Boss Sully] going.” The competition on Saturday includes Vlahos, winner of the Clocker’s Corner Stakes at six furlongs on Jan. 26; We’re in Trouble, unraced since a fifth-place finish in the Oceanside Stakes for 3-year-olds on turf at Del Mar last July; and Tigerhon, fourth behind Sorrento Sky on Feb. 16. Tigerhon, trained by Mark Glatt, won three turf sprints last year and is the runner Koriner fears. Vlahos, trained by Doug O’Neill, will make his turf debut on Saturday. The Clocker’s Corner was scheduled for turf but moved to dirt because of wet weather. “He has a pedigree that suggests he’ll love the grass,” O’Neill wrote in a text message on Thursday. Vlahos is by Kantharos, the sire of turf graded stakes winners such as Ancient Secret, Bay Storm, Bucchero, Lagynos, Our Shot, and World of Trouble. We’re in Trouble, trained by Michael McCarthy, won two turf sprints at Santa Anita before the loss in the Oceanside. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.