North County Guy may have run his last race

ARCADIA, Calif. – North County Guy, winner of the Unusual Heat Turf Classic at Santa Anita in 2021, might have run his last race.

Trainer Richard Baltas said Friday that the 7-year-old North County Guy was recently diagnosed with a soft-tissue injury and that retirement is a possibility. North County Guy has not raced since finishing second in the California Flag Handicap on the hillside turf course in October, and has not had a workout since mid-December.

“It’s minor, but still,” Baltas said of the injury.

“He’s getting older and it’s caught up to him. He needs a break, and I don’t know if I’ll bring him back or not.”

Owned by Bruce Sands and Nancy Messineo, North County Guy was claimed for $20,000 at the Del Mar summer meeting in 2018. He has earned $538,527, almost all of it for his current owners.

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North County Guy had his best season in 2021, winning 3 of 6 starts and finishing second or third in three stakes.

The $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic at 1 1/8 miles is one of five stakes for statebreds on the Jan. 15 program. The graded stakes winners Acclimate and None Above the Law are two contenders for the Turf Classic.

None Above the Law, winner of the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on turf and three other stakes in 2021, was fourth in the Grade 2 Mathis Mile here Dec. 26. The Mathis Mile was scheduled for turf but moved to dirt because of wet conditions.

Trainer Ruben Alvarado said Friday that None Above the Law did not handle the main track on Dec. 26.

“That race, I don’t know,” Alvarado said. “He was not happy at all. I think he’ll run better this time.”

Brickyard Ride won the California Cup Sprint at six furlongs last January and will start in the same $150,000 race on Jan. 15 in his first start since the summer.

The Baltas-trained Straight Up G, who won the $100,000 King Glorious Stakes for 2-year-old statebreds at a mile on Dec. 12 at Los Alamitos, is scheduled to start in the $200,000 California Cup Derby at 1 1/16 miles on Jan. 15.

Professors’ Pride will be well backed to remain unbeaten after three starts when she has her turf debut in the $200,000 California Cup Oaks at a mile on Jan. 15. Trained by Eddie Truman, Professors’ Pride won the Soviet Problem Stakes for statebred 2-year-old fillies on Dec. 10 at Los Alamitos and has worked quickly in recent weeks.

Leggs Galore, a three-time stakes winner who has not raced since August, will start in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course, a race she won last year.

Leggs Galore’s rivals are likely to include seven-time stakes winner Warren’s Showtime, who was third in the 2021 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint, and Alice Marble, an allowance race winner at Los Alamitos last month.

Leggs Galore and Alice Marble are trained by Phil D’Amato.