Lieutenant Dan a game winner in Sensational Star Stakes

With proven stakes form on dirt, the 4-year-old gelding Lieutenant Dan displayed his versatility with his first career stakes win on turf in Sunday’s $102,500 Sensational Star Stakes for California-bred sprinters at Santa Anita.

Lieutenant Dan ($8.60) caught 5-1 pacesetter Stealthediamonds to win by three-quarters of a length. Brandothebartender (10-1) finished third, beaten 3 1/4 lengths and was followed by 9-5 favorite Just Grazed Me, who was supplemented to the race for $2,000.

Wound Tight finished fifth, followed by Grinning Tiger, Castle, Loud Mouth, Tigre Di Slugo, and The Hunted.

Stealthediamonds, a 4-year-old filly, and Just Grazed Me, a 5-year-old mare, were the only females in the field of 10.

Lieutenant Dan, who was ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, ran 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:02.32 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 95. Van Dyke had Lieutenant Dan in third for the first three furlongs and took the lead in the final sixteenth.

“It set up perfect for him,” Van Dyke said. “My main concern was getting him to switch to his right lead when we turned for home. Once we did, I was pretty confident we’d catch that mare.”

By Grazen, Lieutenant Dan races for owner and breeder Nick Alexander and trainer Steve Miyadi.

“This horse is finally growing into his frame,” Miyadi said. “We gave him a little time off and he’s picked up some weight, which he needed because he’s been so light.”

The Sensational Star was Lieutenant Dan’s second race after a layoff of nearly five months. Lieutenant Dan has won five of 12 starts and earned $406,020.

In 2019, Lieutenant Dan won two sprint stakes for 3-year-old California-breds – the Echo Eddie at Santa Anita in April and the Real Good Deal Stakes at Del Mar in August. He was third in two stakes for statebred 3-year-olds on turf last April and June at Golden Gate Fields and Santa Anita.

In January, Lieutenant Dan was a game second to Fashionably Fast in the California Cup Sprint at six furlongs for statebreds at Santa Anita in his first start since August. Fashionably Fast later won the Tiznow Stakes for statebred milers on March 1.