Madman looks to pick up where he left off in Friday feature

Madman surprised trainer Richard Baltas when he won his debut by an eye-catching seven lengths at Santa Anita in May.

“I didn’t know he’d run that good,” Baltas said Wednesday.

That remains the colt’s only start. Madman was rested during the summer after undergoing surgery to have a bone chip removed from an ankle. The promising 3-year-old will have his second start in an allowance race with a $40,000 claiming option at six furlongs on Friday at Del Mar.

The optional claimer is the eighth race on a nine-race program that begins at 12:30 p.m. Pacific. It is the first of three days of racing on the final week of the track’s autumn meeting. The Saturday and Sunday programs are highlighted by graded stakes on turf. Los Alamitos opens its autumn meeting Dec. 6.

Madman drew the outside post in a field of 10. In his maiden race win, Madman stalked the pace before taking the lead in early stretch. Baltas is hoping jockey Flavien Prat can guide Madman through a similar trip Friday.

“He’s got a nice, cozy outside post,” Baltas said.

Owned and bred by Larry, Nancy, and Jaime Roth’s LNJ Foxwoods, Madman is by Violence and has had a steady pattern of workouts since early September for his comeback.

“He doesn’t wow you,” Baltas said. “He’s a big, ordinary-looking horse.

“He hasn’t missed a beat. Hopefully, he comes back and runs good.”

Madman’s main rival is Soldier Boy, who is drawn in post 9. Trained by John Sadler, Soldier Boy won a maiden special weight race at 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita by 5 1/4 lengths as the even-money favorite on Oct. 26.

Ridden that day by Tyler Baze, who has the mount Friday, Soldier Boy led throughout and drew away quickly in early stretch to win his fourth start. Soldier Boy was beaten a nose in a maiden race on Sept. 28 at Santa Anita.

The remaining eight runners in the field have all had at least 10 starts. Adens Dream, a two-time winner this year also trained by Sadler, will have his 33rd start Friday. Friday’s race is the first for Adens Dream since he finished a troubled fourth in an optional claimer July 20 at Del Mar.

Adens Dream is one of four runners in the field entered to be claimed for $40,000. So is Touching Rainbows, who won the California Cup Sprint for statebreds at Santa Anita in January.

Trained by Phil D’Amato, Touching Rainbows was last of six in the Harris Farms Stakes for statebred sprinters at the Big Fresno Fair on Oct. 5 in his first start in six months.