Law Abidin Citizen must catch Higher Power in Wickerr

DEL MAR, Calif. – Law Abidin Citizen, a 5-year-old graded stakes winner, may be in the midst of a career change this summer.

After success in turf sprints, Law Abidin Citizen was second by a neck in the Grade 3 American Stakes at a mile on turf June 23 at Santa Anita and will start at that distance again in Sunday’s $85,000 Wickerr Stakes at Del Mar.

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The Wickerr is restricted to horses that have not won a first-place purse of $50,000 or more in races at a mile or longer since Sept. 1. Stakes wins against statebreds do not count against that condition.

Law Abidin Citizen won the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course on March 31 at Santa Anita. There was a two-horse spill in the San Simeon, which led Santa Anita officials to cease running turf sprints on the hillside turf course through the spring and run them at five furlongs on turf.

The track’s policy forced trainer Mark Glatt and the partnership that owns Law Abidin Citizen – Dan Agnew, Gerry Schneider, and John Xitco – to make alternative plans.

“His best lick is probably down the hill,” Glatt said. “He’s not a good five-eighths horse at the stakes level.

“He’s capable at a mile. He did well last time.”

In the American Stakes, Law Abidin Citizen closed from fourth in the final furlong to finish a neck behind Majestic Eagle. In the Wickerr, Law Abidin Citizen will be in pursuit of Higher Power, a 4-year-old colt trained by John Sadler who won an optional claimer at a mile on turf June 14 at Santa Anita. Higher Power led throughout to win by a half-length over Ritzy A.P., who is entered in Sunday’s Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes at 1 1/8 miles.

Earlier in the spring, Higher Power was fifth in the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita at 1 1/4 miles on dirt under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. Sadler said he thinks the distance, not the surface, might have been the reason Higher Power ran poorly.

“Ortiz said maybe he didn’t want a mile and a quarter,” he said.

Higher Power is expected to set the pace in the Wickerr.

“He’ll be prominently placed,” Sadler said.

The Wickerr Stakes drew a field of nine, including Double Touch and Bombard, who were first and second in the 2018 Wickerr Stakes, and Souter, who was third behind Higher Power in the optional claimer on June 14 for Glatt.

“I think he’s a good fit in this race,” Glatt said.