Lovesick Blues charts unconventional path to BC Sprint

ARCADIA, Calif. – Lovesick Blues will take a downhill detour on his path to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

After his $39.20 upset in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes on July 26 at Del Mar, plans called for Lovesick Blues to train into the BC Sprint three months later on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Then trainer Librado Barocio reconsidered.

“The more I thought about it, it’s a long road, and if he’s going to be on his game (for the BC Sprint), I need to tighten him up a little bit,” Barocio said Sunday at Santa Anita. “I think I’ll run him down the hill.”

Rather than train Lovesick Blues into the BC Sprint, Barocio will start Lovesick Blues in the $100,000 California Flag Handicap on Oct. 11 at Santa Anita. A hillside turf sprint for Cal-breds might seem an unorthodox move for a BC Sprint candidate, but turf to dirt worked perfectly this summer.

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Lovesick Blues made four turf starts after he was purchased by Barocio from breeder Nick Alexander. Following a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes at Santa Anita, Lovesick Blues switched to dirt and scored a 105-Beyer victory in the Bing Crosby. Barocio will try to replicate the pattern by returning Lovesick Blues to turf in the California Flag.

Although he is 0 for 8 on the Santa Anita hill, the California Flag is only a means to an end for Lovesick Blues. “He doesn’t need to win,” Barocio said. “But he’s doing so well.” A 7-year-old gelding, Lovesick Blues has won nine races and $770,000 from 41 starts.

Only one BC Sprint winner was switching from turf to dirt. Sheikh Albadou, a Group 1 winner in Europe, made his first start on dirt in the 1991 BC Sprint at Churchill Downs. He popped at $54.60.

While Lovesick Blues charts an unconventional path to the BC Sprint, Barocio will try to upset the Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship on dirt Sept. 28. Wound Up won six straight before finishing last in his Aug. 30 comeback on turf at Del Mar. The race was a toss.

“I ran him on grass, from the 12 (post), and he didn’t (break),” Barocio said. “I’m looking for big things from him.”

Wound Up worked a half-mile Sunday in 48.20 as he prepares to take on likely favorite Straight No Chaser in the Santa Anita Sprint.

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