Lewis puts blinkers back on Margot's Boy for Sensational Star

In the first five months of 2020, Margot’s Boy reeled off three consecutive wins in one-mile turf races at Santa Anita, always racing near the front.

Margot’s Boy was fitted with blinkers in those wins, equipment removed prior to a near-miss second by a head in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby last September.

Margot’s Boy has lost six additional starts since the Del Mar Derby, leading trainer Craig Lewis to put blinkers back on the 4-year-old gelding for Sunday’s $100,000 Sensational Star Stakes for California-breds at six furlongs on turf at Santa Anita.

The equipment change is designed to utilize Margot’s Boy’s speed in his first career appearance in a turf sprint in his 15th start.

“We took them off to try to get him to relax and settle,” Lewis said.

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“He did well in the Del Mar Derby. We’re going back to what’s worked. He won three races with them. It’s all speculation, though.”

Margot’s Boy is part of a field of seven in the Sensational Star, the seventh race on a nine-race program that begins at 1 p.m. Pacific.

Margot’s Boy, owned and bred by Sonny Pais, has drawn post 5, and could be in a stalking position through the opening quarter-mile behind Jetovator and Desmond Doss, who are drawn to the inside.

“He’s got some natural speed,” Lewis said. “I like the draw a lot.

“I don’t know if he’ll sprint, but we’ll find out. We have to take a shot at $100,000.”

The field includes Brandothebartender, who has appeared in the last three runnings of this race. Brandothebartender was fifth in the 2018 Sensational Star when trained by Andrew Lerner, and third the last two years for current trainer Craig Dollase.

Brandothbartender, 8, won the California Flag Handicap for statebreds at five furlongs on turf in October 2018, his most recent stakes win. In December, Brandothebartender won a 1,000-yard allowance race for Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds at Los Alamitos.

Brandothebartender, who will be ridden by Umberto Rispoli, drew the outside post and is a threat from off the pace.

Desmond Doss, trained by Steve Miyadi, was second by a head in the Tiznow Stakes for statebreds at a mile on dirt Feb. 28, his best finish in four career starts in stakes. Brandothebartender and Margot’s Boy were third and fourth in the Tiznow Stakes.

The Sensational Star Stakes will be the stakes debut for Jetovator, who won allowance races in turf sprints on Dec. 27 and Feb. 20 at Santa Anita. Jetovator was sixth in an allowance race for statebreds on dirt at six furlongs on Jan. 16.

Jetovator is quick enough to lead.

“He’s really taken to the turf here,” trainer Peter Eurton said. “We finally stopped running in long races and dirt races. He’s had a chance to develop into a nice sprint turf horse.

“This is not an easy race, and I think this is what he does best.”