Lammas scores first turf win in Sam Spear Memorial Stakes

Lammas picked the perfect occasion to take a liking to turf at Golden Gate Fields on Monday.

After finishing no better than fourth in his first four starts on turf, Lammas ($13.80) had an ideal trip to win the $52,450 Sam Spear Memorial Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf, his second career stakes win and first start in nearly six months.

Ridden by William Antongeorgi, Lammas closed from fourth in a field of seven to take the lead in the stretch. He was clear with a sixteenth of a mile remaining, holding off 1-5 I’mgonnabesomebody to win by 1 3/4 lengths.

Lammas was timed in 1:42.81.

America Great (33-1) was second early and held third, beaten three lengths. Royal ’n Rando finished fourth, followed Druidic, Cousin Richie, and Jimmy Blue Jeans.

Jimmy Blue Jeans set a decent pace of 23.40 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.86 for a half-mile, but could not sustain the effort.

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Lammas, a 6-year-old British-bred gelding by the Dark Angel stallion Heeraat, races for Ron Charles and Samuel Gordon and trainer Manny Badilla.

Lammas won the Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap on the synthetic main track at Golden Gate Fields last November, the most prestigious win of his career. Earlier this year, Lammas was beaten in three allowance races on the synthetic track, a span that included two second-place finishes.

Lammas was second by a nose in an allowance race on March 13, his most recent race prior to the Sam Spear Memorial, which honors the memory of the late Northern California publicist and journalist.

Lammas was beaten in two starts on turf in Britain before he was shipped to the United States last year. Lammas, who was fourth in an allowance race on turf at Del Mar in July 2022 in his American debut, has won 6 of 23 starts and earned $172,210.

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