Natural Colour back in comfort zone in Luther Burbank Handicap

A loss in the Possibly Perfect Stakes at Santa Anita in June put an end to a two-race winning streak for the Northern California-based Natural Colour, who starts in Saturday’s $75,000 Luther Burbank Handicap at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, Calif.

Natural Colour raced in traffic early in the Possibly Perfect and finished fifth in the 1 1/4-mile turf race behind the strongly favored winner, Neige Blanche.

“The race was really ugly at the beginning,” co-owner Ron Charles said on Thursday.

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The Burbank Stakes, for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on turf, provides class relief and a chance for Natural Colour to add to her wins – one by disqualification – in allowance races at Golden Gate in the spring.

Trained by Manny Badilla, Natural Colour is part of a field of nine in the Burbank. Natural Colour, who will be ridden by Pedro Terrero, drew the rail, alongside one of her chief rivals in Strike at Dawn.

Badilla has two other runners in the field: Northwest Factor and Scherzo. Northwest Factor was fourth in the She’s a Tiger Stakes on dirt at Pleasanton on July 25 and third in the Golden Poppy Stakes on turf at Golden Gate Fields in April, and Scherzo was a troubled sixth in the Possibly Perfect.

Natural Colour and Scherzo are owned by Samuel Gordon and Charles, a former president of Santa Anita.

Natural Colour made her first nine starts in Britain for Godolphin Racing and trainer Saeed bin Suroor. Natural Colour’s lone win there came in an allowance race at a mile at Doncaster last September in a charity race for retired jockeys.

“She’s been training terrific,” Charles said. “She’s gotten better the longer she’s been here. We think she’s going to run really well.”

Strike at Dawn has not won since July 2019, a span of nine race that includes a fourth in the Grade 3 Red Carpet Handicap at Del Mar in November of that year.

Strike at Dawn was fourth of five in an allowance race at Golden Gate Fields on June 5 in her first start since November 2020. Strike at Dawn has worked quickly for the Burbank Stakes.

“Her works couldn’t have been better to this point,” trainer Blaine Wright said in a text message on Thursday. “This is the race we have been pointing for.”