Pubilius Syrus preps for Pasadena Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Pubilius Syrus won the Eddie Logan Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on Dec. 29 even though the distance may not have been the best fit.

“He’s a mile and a quarter horse,” trainer Vladimir Cerin said.

Turf races at that distance are months away, and Pubilius Syrus needs a start, leading to an appearance in Sunday’s $75,000 Baffle Stakes for 3-year-olds at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita. Cerin considers the Baffle Stakes a prep for the $200,000 Pasadena Stakes at a mile on turf on March 17, and has modest expectations Sunday for Pubilius Syrus.

“He can get fit,” Cerin said. “He’s training well. He feels great.”

Owned by David and Holly Wilson, Pubilius Syrus has won 2 of 6 starts and earned $112,140. He was second in the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes at a mile on turf at Del Mar on Nov. 26, losing by 4 1/4 lengths to the highly regarded Analyze It, who is based in Florida this winter.

Pubilius Syrus is one of two stakes winners in a field of six in the Baffle Stakes, the fourth race on a nine-race program.

Hemp Hemp Hurray won the Tyro Stakes at Monmouth Park last August and has not started since finishing last of 14 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 3. Trained in Florida by Wesley Ward, Hemp Hemp Hurray will race without blinkers for the first time in his career.

Psycho Dar, second in the California Cup Turf Sprint for 3-year-old statebreds on the hillside turf course Jan. 27, is a threat from off the pace. Colosi and Afleet Ascent won overnight races on the hillside in January.

The Baffle will be the stakes debut for Colosi, who is trained by Mark Glatt and named for Santa Anita clerk of the scales Kevin Colosi. By City Zip, Colosi won a maiden race on the hillside turf course by 4 3/4 lengths Jan. 7 in his first race on turf and his third start.

“He had been a nervous type of horse, mentally immature early on,” Glatt said. “In his first two races he had to ship and run. I don’t think that helped his cause at all.

“He switched over to the grass, and City Zips like the grass considerably. Whether he (won because he) didn’t have to ship and run, or transferring over to the grass, it could have been a combination of both.”

The Baffle Stakes is one of two stakes on Sunday’s program, along with the Grade 3 Las Flores Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs. There is racing Monday, Presidents Day, with two $200,000 races for 3-year-old California-breds – the California Cup Oaks for fillies at a mile on turf and the California Cup Derby at 1 1/16 miles on dirt.