Pay the Fine seeks first win on dirt
ARCADIA, Calif. – Pay the Fine had an excellent 3-year-old season in 2015, winning three times on turf at Del Mar and Santa Anita.
The colt is winless in four career starts on dirt, however, and can reverse that streak in a second-level optional $62,500 claimer at Santa Anita on Friday. The six-furlong race was not trainer Doug O’Neill’s first choice for an apparent turf specialist.
“Do we wish the race was down the hill” on turf? O’Neill said Wednesday. “For sure. I think he can run on dirt.”
Owned by Paul and Zillah Reddam, Pay the Fine is part of a field of 13 in the eighth race on a nine-race program.
Race 8
KEY CONTENDERS
Pay the Fine (Last 3 Beyers: 90-82-79)
◗ Pay the Fine won an allowance race at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar on Nov. 15, closing from third in a field of eight to win by a half-length over Native Treasure. The form of that race is solid. Native Treasure returned to win an optional claimer at Los Alamitos on Dec. 11.
◗ Pay the Fine, by Square Eddie, was second in an optional claimer for California-breds on the main track at Del Mar in August, his most recent start on dirt.
“The Square Eddies will run on anything,” O’Neill said. “He’s ready to run. He’s doing well. If we held him out for another two weeks, he could be over the top. I’m happy with him.”
Serbian Syclone (Last 3 Beyers: 92-68-86)
◗ Trained by Peter Miller, Serbian Syclone has raced only on turf since June but ran well on dirt earlier in his career. Serbian Syclone, who races near the front, won an optional claimer here in December 2014 and was second in the San Pedro Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters on dirt here in April.
◗ Serbian Syclone was winless in nine starts as a 3-year-old in 2015. He drew the rail in this field, which could force jockey Victor Espinoza to try for the lead to avoid trouble.
Why Two (Last 3 Beyers: 76-67-52)
◗ Why Two is the only stakes winner in the field, having won the Turf Paradise Derby in Arizona last February. Trained by Mike Machowsky, Why Two started only three times through the rest of 2015, including a sixth in the Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby last March.
◗ Why Two will race as a gelding for the first time on Friday.
“It’s helped him a lot,” Machowsky said. “He was getting too tough to gallop and becoming a handful.”
◗ Gary Stevens has the mount. He rode Why Two to a fifth-place finish behind Cautious Giant in his last start at seven furlongs Oct. 11.
Cautious Giant (Last 3 Beyers: 85-75-84)
◗ Cautious Giant has not raced since the win Oct. 11, when he overcame trouble in early stretch. He tends to run from off the pace and will be reliant on a clean trip.