Ourwestcoastghost looks for repeat in newly named Oak Tree Sprint

Friday’s $75,000 Oak Tree Sprint at the Oak Tree at Pleasanton meet could provide the same fireworks as last year’s July 4 sprint stakes. Last year’s winner, Ourwestcoastghost returns, bidding for a repeat in the race that was called the Casual Lies Handicap last year.

In last July’s six-furlong sprint, Ourwestcoastghost scored his third straight victory and his first stakes win, rallying from off the pace to run down Coach Bob and the pacesetting Distinctiv Passion, who dueled through fractions of 21.65 seconds and 43.48.

Ourwestcoastghost has won two of his past four starts, along with a close third and a second to the Eclipse Award winner Shared Belief, coming into this year’s race.

“He’s doing well, really good,” said trainer D. Wayne Baker, who bred and co-owns the 6-year-old Muqtarib gelding with Ron and Lillian Lang.

Ourwestcoastghost lost five straight after the Casual Lies but really turned in only one bad effort when last Jan. 26 in the California Cup Sprint at Santa Anita, where Coach Bob arguably ran his best race when second to Big Macher.

“We went to the Cal Cup, but he didn’t like the track,” Baker said.

Ourwestcoastghost came into last year’s race off a 26-day layoff. This year’s layoff is 39 days, during which Baker opted not to run in the five-furlong Albany Stakes on turf June 14 at Golden Gate Fields.

“Sometimes you need a little break,” Baker said. “The allowance races up here are like running in a stakes every time. We just passed the other race. It wasn’t because of last year [when Ourwestcoastghost was eighth of 10 in the Jess Jackson Handicap on turf at Santa Rosa]. The turf the last week up there was horrendous. It wasn’t a true race.”

Ourwestcoastghost will see familiar faces when he lines up against six rivals.

Coach Bob is back after running second in the Casual Lies. Moonshine Bay, who won the Albany, ran fifth here last year, and Ain’t No Other, who won the Jess Jackson, finished sixth here.

Coach Bob’s trainer, Reina Gonzalez, knows there is speed signed up Friday, but maybe not the speed Distinctiv Passion flashed last year.

“Everything depends on the break, but if we want the lead, we could get it,” she said, predicting that her horse could outfoot Streamside, Anillo, and Ain’t No Other.

Moonshine Bay, who has finished behind Ourwestcoastghost in their past three meetings, also has speed but hasn’t flashed it as much lately.

Zeewat, a stablemate of Ain’t No Other and Moonshine Bay, rounds out the field and likely will be sitting behind Ourwestcoastghost early.