Rookie Sensation looks sharp for Last Tycoon Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita hopes for a clean start, and Rookie Sensation hopes for a clean trip Friday, opening day of the first spring-summer meet at Santa Anita.

The meet begins without so much as token reference to now-shuttered Hollywood Park. The Grade 3 Last Tycoon Stakes on turf, formerly known as the Inglewood, is the opening-day feature at Santa Anita. The Last Tycoon is one of several stakes previously run at Hollywood that have been renamed by Santa Anita.

Six were entered in the 1 1/8-mile Last Tycoon, won by trainer John Shirreffs three times in the last six years at Hollywood when it was the Inglewood. Shirreffs has the horse to beat again this year in Rookie Sensation, the runner-up last out with an impossible trip.

Facing a good allowance group at 1 1/8 miles, Rookie Sensation was blocked from the quarter pole to deep stretch, got clear late, finished with a rush, but missed by a head to front-running winner Horizontalyspeakin. Rookie Sensation was best.

“He was really stuck down on the inside and never had a chance to really run,” Shirreffs said.

The effort marked a return to form for 3-for-8 Rookie Sensation, a Grade 2 winner last fall. Owned by Stronach Stables, Rookie Sensation faces an evenly matched group Friday. His rivals include Grade 2 marathon winner Fire With Fire, sprint stakes winner Lakerville, allowance types Spring Up and Joelito, and comebacker Quick Casablanca.

Although Rookie Sensation will have a new rider, the change is not due to his unlucky trip under Corey Nakatani. Late last week, Shirreffs was undecided whether Rookie Sensation would start. He told the agent for Nakatani, “If you have another call, take it.”

One day later, Rookie Sensation stamped himself ready.

“I worked him, and he worked really well,” Shirreffs said.

By then, Nakatani had committed to Joelito. No problem. Mike Smith had expressed interest in Rookie Sensation and will ride him Friday for the first time.

A curious aspect of the Last Tycoon is the absence of a pacesetter. One candidate is Fire With Fire, the front-running winner of the Grade 2 San Luis Rey at 1 1/2 miles last out. Fire With Fire and jockey Tyler Baze could set the pace again by default. The shorter trip is not an issue, said trainer Neil Drysdale.

“The distances don’t seem to bother him,” Drysdale said. “He runs all different distances. I don’t know why he is an improved horse this year.”

Fire With Fire is in career-best form at age 6. Prior to the San Luis Rey, he won a $75,000, one-mile stakes at Turf Paradise, rallying from off the pace.

Lakerville was entered in a dirt stakes Saturday, but trainer Barry Abrams plans to run him Friday on turf in the Last Tycoon. The challenge for Lakerville is distance. He finished one-two in all nine of his sprints. He finished sixth in his only route.

“It’s a concern to me,” Abrams said regarding distance. “If he cannot go two turns, then I might as well send him back East [for turf sprints]. If he can go a distance, then I can stay in California and run in these races.”

Lakerville had no shot in his only previous route, the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile. The pace was slow, speed held, and Lakerville merely ran in place. Brice Blanc rides Lakerville for the first time Friday. Similar to Fire With Fire, Lakerville is a candidate to make the lead.

Abrams pondered the pace scenario for Lakerville: “Can he go wire to wire? I don’t see why not if he is as good a horse as I think he is.”

Quick Casablanca makes his first start in California and his first for trainer Ron McAnally. A two-time Group 1 winner in South America, Quick Casablanca was compromised by bleeding on the East Coast, where he was 0 for 5.

McAnally believes he is fit for his first start since November but noted that he preferred longer distances in South America.

“He’s a big, tall horse,” McAnally said. “His races have all been a distance.”

Quick Casablanca will be ridden by Joe Talamo.

First post Friday is 3 p.m. Pacific. The Last Tycoon is race 4 on an eight-race card.