Lakerball shoots for three in Campanile Stakes

California-bred 3-year-olds are in the spotlight Sunday at Golden Gate Fields in a pair of $100,000 turf races at one mile. The Campanile for fillies will go as the ninth race on the 12-race card, and the Silky Sullivan is the 10th race. The two races will begin an all-turf pick four to close the card.

The field of 10 in the Campanile, includes Lakerball, who won the Pike Place Dancer on the turf here last year; Apache Princess, who won the Grade 3 Sweet Life at Santa Anita in February; and Lippy, who won the Juan Gonzalez at Pleasanton last summer.

The Doug O’Neill-trained Lakerball goes after her third stakes win in the Campanile. She won at Sunday’s one-mile distance on turf in the Surfer Girl at Santa Anita and the Pike Place Dancer in back-to-back starts last October. She was third in the California Cup Oaks, also at a mile on turf, in February, and has since run fourth, beaten less than a length, in the Grade 3 Providencia on April 6 at Santa Anita.

Apache Pass, who also was entered in Saturday’s $75,000 California Oaks on the main track, won the 6 1/2-furlong Sweet Life, which was switched from turf to dirt because of rain. She came back to be eighth in the Providencia.

Lippy, also trained by O’Neill, was second in the Cal Cup Oaks in her only turf start.

Steve Sherman will send out two runners in the Campanile – Blue Diva, who drew the rail, and Hollywood Hills, who will break from post 2.

Blue Diva won a maiden claimer on turf here last August on a disqualification, and two months later in her next start she ran third on turf in a starter race against male rivals. She’s been first under the wire in her last three starts – all on the Tapeta here – but was disqualified from the first of those wins. She won a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer by three lengths last out.

“She really likes the distance,” said Sherman, who has given the Bluegrass Cat filly two maintenance works since her last start. “To me, that mile-and-sixteenth was one of her better races, and she’s still learning.

“She’s much stronger now.”

There is enough speed in the race to give Blue Diva a good target to run at.

“If they can set it up for her, she can kick it at the end,” Sherman said.

Hollywood Hills had a four-race win streak snapped in her last start, a one-mile optional claimer on the Tapeta that marked her first start at two turns. She’s worked five times in the seven weeks since that race and has a pair of six-furlong bullet works in her final two drills.

Silky Sullivan: Is Dan the man?

The Silky Sullivan will answer some questions for trainer Steve Miyadi about Lieutenant Dan, who has yet to run on turf and ran poorly in his only route.

Lieutenant Dan is in sharp form for the Silky Sullivan, having won an optional claimer on the Tapeta here in March and the Echo Eddie for statebreds April 6 at Santa Anita.

“The turf is going to be an experiment,” Miyadi said.

Miyadi admits that Lieutenant Dan’s effort in his only two-turn race is a “puzzle” to him. Lieutenant Dan finished fifth and last, beaten eight lengths as the 3-5 favorite, in a one-mile optional claimer in February at Santa Anita.

“He just ran flat,” he said.

Lieutenant Dan has raced six times and did not make his first start until December. Miyadi said he is still a work in progress.

“We don’t ask him to run a lot,” Miyadi said. “We’ve run enough to know what he’s not, and he’s worked well enough not to run him for a tag.”

Among Lieutenant Dan’s opponents is Listing, who finished third in the Echo Eddie and has won two stakes. He captured the I’m Smokin at Del Mar last summer in his debut and the California Cup Turf Sprint in January at Santa Anita.

Our Silver Oak ran well in both his turf races, a second in an optional claimer at Del Mar last August and a fifth with traffic trouble in the California Cup Turf Sprint.