Pendleton cutting back for J.R. Malouff Handicap

Pendleton seeks to win his fifth straight race in the $55,000 J.R. Malouff Handicap at the Downs at Albuquerque on Saturday. He will be cutting back from three turns to one for the seven-furlong race.

Pendleton, the 123-pound highweight in the field of eight, is coming off a 14 1/2 length win in the $75,000 San Juan County Commissioners on June 2. The 1 1/8-mile race was run around three turns at SunRay Park.

Although Pendleton has won an allowance race at one turn, trainer Justin Evans said he is worried how the horse will handle the change in configuration Saturday.

“You’ve got him relaxed and going long, and now you’re sort of pushing him up into the pace going shorter,” said Evans, who trains Pendleton for Bill Tomasic and Susan Tomasic. “It’s a difficult situation.”

Evans said the Malouff works well from a timing standpoint for Pendleton, who is based locally and pointing for the $200,000 Downs at Albuquerque Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on Aug. 3. For the Malouff, the training approach with Pendleton has been simple, said Evans.

“We just tried to keep him kind of fresh and happy,” he said.

Luis Negron has the mount from post 7.

“We couldn’t have drawn a better post,” Evans said. “Because we’re outside, if he wants to take back and let the others go, try to stalk, he’s got that as an option. For being up against it with the distance, the draw was a positive.”

Pendleton wired the field in the San Juan County Commissioners, earning a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 94.

“It was impressive visually,” Evans said. “It was as impressive on paper as it was in real life. He just ran them off their feet. He just widened on every turn . . . the three turns.”

Also set to start in the Malouff include Oh So Regal, winner of the Sunland Park Handicap in 2018 and the runner-up in last year’s Downs at Albuquerque Handicap.