Logical Single's stakes win gets Pederson off to good start in Southern California

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Just once trainer Dean Pederson would like to win a stakes at Hollywood Park without any hint of drama.

Way back in 2001, Pederson, based in Northern California at the time, won the California Sires Stakes with Super Tuesday, who prevailed by a nose after a lengthy photo review. Pederson was back in the winner’s circle at Hollywood Park on May 22 with Logical Single, the upset winner of the Fran’s Valentine Stakes.

But it was not until the stewards reviewed an objection by Joe Talamo, the rider of runner-up Lady Railrider, over the stretch run that Logical Single’s victory was confirmed.

“I have to wait out a 20-minute photo and an inquiry,” Pederson said. “Can we make it simple?”

The win by Logical Single was Pederson’s first stakes win in Southern California since he began moving his stable to this circuit earlier this spring. The win with Logical Single represents the latest segment in a long history with the filly’s family and her owner breeder, John Harris.

Logical Single, a winner of 5 of 13 starts and $198,652, won the $73,350 Fran’s Valentine Stakes for statebred females by a half-length after racing near the front throughout. The Fran’s Valentine was Logical Single’s first stakes win, and her second appearance at that level of competition. She was third in the Irish O’Brien Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita earlier this year.

“I’ve had her the whole time,” Pederson said of the filly’s career. “She’s always been an honest filly. She never had run anything like the other day, it was a step up in class for her. If she gets beats, it’s because she gets outrun.”

Pederson, 49, was left impressed with the way that Logical Single was patient under jockey Chantal Sutherland, stalking pacesetter Jax El while eight lengths clear of the others on the backstretch.

“I thought if she’d relax, we could put a little separation on the field,” Pederson said. “She was pretty game.”

Harris bred Logical Single and stands the filly’s stallion, Singletary, who is best known for winning the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Lone Star Park. Singletary has had three stakes winners, including two from 2010 – Spirited Winner, who won the Sturgeon River Stakes at Northlands Park and El Rancho in the Arizona Thoroughbred Breeders Association Sales Stakes at Turf Paradise.

Logical Single is out of the Dynaformer mare Zoelu, and a half-sister to Now Victory, a multiple stakes winner for Harris and Pederson who won 9 of 28 starts and $442,546, racing mostly in Northern California.

Logical Single will stay in Southern California this summer, with the California Dreamin’ Handicap for statebred females over 1 1/16 miles on turf at Del Mar in August as a long-term goal.

“A mile and a sixteenth is probably stretching her distance,” Pederson said. “How much farther she wants to go, I’m not sure.”

$180,000 colt headed to Japan

The leading California-bred at the Barretts May sale of 2-year-olds in-training on May 16 was a Medaglia d’Oro colt purchased for $180,000 by Shigeru Morinaka.

Barretts officials confirmed on Thursday that the colt is bound for Japan.

Consigned by Stephens Thoroughbreds, agent for Vision Racing and Sales, the colt is out of Win for Juno, the dam of Sweet Win, who won the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap at Del Mar in 2004.

The Medaglia d’Oro colt was the lone California-bred among the seven hips in the one-day sale that were listed as sold for $100,000 or more. The sale topper was a Kentucky-bred Hard Spun colt, a half-brother to Sinister Minister, the winner of the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes in 2006. The Hard Spun colt was sold for $220,000.

Cosmopolitan, a Kentucky-bred half-sister to 2009 California-bred co-horse of the year California Flag, was sold for $110,000 to Jim McIngvale. Cosmopolitan is by Harlan’s Holiday out of Ultrafleet.