Lammas runs them down in Bull Dog Stakes

The 7-year-old gelding Lammas left no doubt regarding his position as the leading runner in Northern California with a hard-fought win in Sunday’s $57,300 Bull Dog Stakes at the Big Fresno Fair.

Lammas won his third consecutive stakes on the circuit in the Bull Dog, and it was his fifth win in his last six starts. The only loss in that span was a fifth-place finish by two lengths in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on turf on Aug. 31, his only start away from Northern California this year.

Sent off favored in a field of nine in the Bull Dog, Lammas was wide throughout under jockey Assael Espinoza, racing about three lengths behind pacesetter No Secret.

No Secret (14-1) set a moderate pace of 23.46 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 48.48 for a half-mile, holding a narrow advantage. Lammas was four wide on the turn and began to close ground entering the stretch. Third with a furlong remaining, Lammas caught stretch leader Coalinga Road in the final strides to win by a half-length.

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Lammas ($4.20) ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.56 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 86.

Coalinga Road (5-1) finished second, two lengths clear of No Secret, who was followed by Rimprotector, Honos Man, Salesman, Arma d’Oro, Shortman, and Prince Abu Dhabi.

Salesman, winner of the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance at 1 5/8 miles at Santa Anita last November, had a troubled start and was beaten about 5 1/2 lengths.

Lammas, a 7-year-old English-bred gelding by Heeraat, races for Ron Charles and Samuel Gordon and trainer Manny Badilla. Earlier this year, Lammas won the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile on turf at Golden Gate Fields in April and the Pleasanton Mile at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton in July.

Lammas has won 12 of 33 starts and earned $471,118. He has earned $266,500 this year.

Badilla will be based at Pleasanton this fall as the track begins a nine-week meeting on Saturday to replace dates previously run at Golden Gate Fields, which closed permanently in June.

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