Off to red-hot start, Knapp starts pair of longshots on Friday card

Considering his stable’s current form, trainer Steve Knapp’s two starters at Los Alamitos on Friday deserve scrutiny on a program that includes a carryover of $14,547 in the $2 pick six.

Through Sunday, Knapp led all trainers at the Los Alamitos summer meeting with five wins, two more than Doug O’Neill and Tim Yakteen. Knapp won three races at Los Alamitos on Sunday, the second time this year he has won three races on a program.

“I’ve never won four,” he said. “That’s hard to do.

“It has to do with everyone in the barn doing their jobs and me putting them in the rights spots.”

Last fall, Knapp led all trainers at a brief two-week meeting at Los Alamitos. The current meeting ends Sunday.

On Friday, Knapp starts Violet Storm and Rumble King. A win by one of them would be an upset.

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Violet Storm, a 6-year-old mare, starts in the fourth race, a $10,000 claimer for fillies and mares at 5 1/2 furlongs and the first race of the pick six. Violet Storm makes a quick comeback after finishing sixth of eight after a wide trip in a $6,250 claimer at a mile on June 27 at Los Alamitos.

“She didn’t break very good,” Knapp said. “She made a little move , but it wasn’t quite enough. She can make one run.”

Violet Storm won in January in a $16,000 claimer for nonwinners of two at Santa Anita. On Friday, she is part of a field of eight that includes the speedy Stellar Cap, who was second in an $8,000 claimer at 5 1/2 furlongs on June 13 at Santa Anita.

Friday’s pick six races have fields of 8, 9, 9, 9, 10, and 10 before scratches.

The seventh and eighth races are allowance races with competitive fields and have several runners with recent turf experience. Trainers say turf horses can handle the dirt track at Los Alamitos. On Sunday, the winners of the first two races had started on turf in their previous starts.

In Friday’s seventh race, Jimmy Blue Jeans, second by a nose in an allowance race on turf May 31 at Santa Anita, and Spun Not Stirred, second in a starter allowance June 6 at Santa Anita, have appealing form. They must beat Feel the Magic, winner of a one-mile starter allowance at Santa Anita in April, who was last of seven in a sprint on May 26.

Knapp starts Rumble King in the eighth race, the gelding’s second start after a layoff of slightly more than a year. Rumble King has drawn the inside post and will be closing. Rumble King was fourth in his comeback on June 8.

“I think he’ll run better,” Knapp said. “He’s got talent. He’s a really big horse. He weighs 1,220 pounds. He’ll have to settle and make one run.”

Trainer Peter Miller expects Grazed to be near the front in his first start since May 2024.

“He should be fit,” Miller said. “I think he’ll be up close.”

Yo Time, unraced since October, will be a danger from the outside post in the field of 10 for trainer Phil D’Amato.

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