Magic Mark brings love for track into Bertrando Stakes

Magic Mark is home with trainer Ron Ellis at Santa Anita, but many of the 7-year-old’s best races have occurred more than 30 miles away at Los Alamitos.

In three starts at Los Alamitos, all in stakes, Magic Mark has never been worse than third, and he won the 2015 Bertrando Stakes for California-bred milers. Last September, he was second to Soi Phet in the E.B. Johnston Stakes for Cal-bred milers.

That record makes Magic Mark a contender in Saturday’s $100,000 Bertrando Stakes at Los Alamitos.

Magic Mark has been fifth in his last three starts – the Cary Grant Stakes for Cal-breds at Del Mar last November, the Tiznow Stakes for Cal-breds at Santa Anita on Feb. 26, and the Santana Mile against open company on April 1.

The Santana Mile was won by Collected, who later won the Grade 2 Californian Stakes at Santa Anita.

“He was way overmatched in that race,” Ellis said. “I tried to get him in an allowance about a month ago, and the race didn’t fill. I was left without a race.”

Magic Mark races for Dorine and John Lanza. In the Bertrando Stakes, Magic Mark will no doubt take his typical position on or near the lead.

“He wants to be first and second,” Ellis said. “We generally have to use him early.”

Magic Mark is part of a projected field of seven in what could be an excellent running of the Bertrando. Other candidates are Ambitious Brew, Avanti Bello, Gold Rush Dancer, Smokey Image, Soi Phet, and Taman Guard. All are stakes winners except for Taman Guard, who was third in the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar last August.

Soi Phet has won 3 of 6 starts at Los Alamitos, with all the wins coming in stakes. Now 9, Soi Phet won the 2014 Bertrando at Los Alamitos, finished eighth in 2015, and was second last year.

The Bertrando is one of two stakes on Saturday’s program.

Finest City, the champion female sprinter of 2016, will be favored to win her second stakes of 2017 in the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs, a race she won at Los Alamitos in April 2016.

Other probable starters are Constellation, Cuddle Alert, Pretty N Cool, Skye Diamonds, and So Sweetitiz.

Constellation won the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita last December and has not raced since finishing second by a neck in the Grade 1 Madison Stakes at Keeneland on April 8.