Next Shares drops out of stakes company in search of elusive win

Next Shares blanked in 2020, losing all seven starts in lucrative stakes. There were three second- or third-place finishes in graded stakes during that season, a reflection Next Shares was just a cut below the best runners.

So far this year, Next Shares is winless in graded stakes at Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park.

Understandably, Next Shares needs a win. The 8-year-old gelding starts in an allowance race at a mile on turf in the seventh race Sunday at Santa Anita. The race is a drop in class, but the group of nine entered includes four other stakes winners – Brown Storm, North County Guy, Restrainedvengence, and Tiz Plus.

Border Town, third in the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes at a mile on turf on Feb. 6, is another runner with leading qualifications.

Next Shares closed from 11th in a field of 12 to finish sixth in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf on Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park.

Trainer Richard Baltas rated the loss in the Pegasus World Cup as a “better-than-looked” race for Next Shares, who started from the rail and raced five wide. Next Shares was beaten 3 1/4 lengths by Colonel Liam.

:: Enhance your handicapping with DRF’s Santa Anita Clocker Report

“He’s been running against the best,” Baltas said. “I saw this spot and thought I’d like to see him win a race. We can get a win and get some confidence and go from there.”

The biggest threat to Next Shares on Sunday could be stablemate North County Guy, winner of the Unusual Heat Turf Classic for California-breds at 1 1/8 miles on Jan. 16. Baltas said the allowance race should prepare North County Guy for the $100,000 Crystal Water Stakes at a mile on turf for statebreds on April 24.

“I think he wants to go farther,” Baltas said. “That being said, he is training great and he’s on edge. He needs to run.”

Border Town won an allowance race at a mile on turf Jan. 8 in his first start in three months, and was beaten 4 1/4 lengths by Hit the Road in the Thunder Road Stakes.

“I think he was a little flat after he ran so good first time back,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “He was a little on the stale side.”

Mandella opted for Sunday’s allowance race instead of a tough running in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on Saturday.

“The Kilroe came up pretty salty,” Mandella said.

Sunday’s allowance race could serve as a prep race for runners such as Border Town, Next Shares, and Restrainedvengence to the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile on April 24 at Golden Gate Fields.

Restrainedvengence has not raced since a seventh-place finish in the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile on turf here in October. A three-time stakes winner in 2020, Restrainedvengence was a late scratch from the Thunder Road Stakes after he became upset when veterinary staff attempted to take a routine pre-race blood test. Trained by Val Brinkerhoff, Restrainedvengence has worked quickly on dirt in recent weeks.

The allowance race is the first start of 2021 for Brown Storm, unraced since a fourth in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles last June.

“This is a good starting point,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “He’s kept some good company. I’m looking for him to do more of the same this year.

“He had a couple of hard races at 1 1/4 miles. We let him come back at his own pace.”

Majestic Steps goes longer

Earlier on Sunday’s program, Majestic Steps will have her third start of the winter-spring meeting in an allowance race at a mile on turf for 3-year-old fillies.

An Irish-bred filly trained by Phil D’Amato, Majestic Steps won her American debut in a maiden special weight race at six furlongs on turf Jan. 2 and was a troubled fourth as the 9-5 favorite in the Grade 3 Sweet Life Stakes at six furlongs on turf Feb. 14. Jockey Umberto Rispoli was aboard for those races and has the mount Sunday.

“She’s trained like a filly that could go two turns,” D’Amato said. “She’s ready to go.”

With a clean trip in the Sweet Life, there is a belief Majestic Steps could have been a major threat in the final furlong, D’Amato said.

“Umberto jumped off the horse and said, ‘If I don’t have to check twice, I’m right there,’ ” D’Amato said. “He usually has a good opinion.”

Absolute Scenes, seventh in her American debut in the Blue Norther Stakes at a mile on turf Dec. 31, will race with blinkers for the first time and has worked recently while fitted with the equipment, Baltas said.

“She’s had two or three works with blinkers at San Luis Rey and she’s more aggressive and forward,” Baltas said. “She got lost the first time. She ran right off the plane, which I don’t normally do.”