Santa Anita: Ain’t No Other takes on Strong Wind in California Flag

ARCADIA, Calif. – With a record of nine wins from 29 starts, Ain’t No Other has earned quite a following – and that’s just from trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and his staff.

“He’s been as solid as they can be,” Hollendorfer said. “He’s one of the favorites in the barn. He’s not a huge horse. He gets a lot of attention.”

Ain’t No Other will deservedly be the focus of Saturday’s $100,000 California Flag Handicap over about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita. Already this year, the 5-year-old Ain’t No Other has won two stakes – the Sensational Star Stakes on the hillside in February and the Jess Jackson Owners’ Handicap over five furlongs on turf at Santa Rosa on Aug. 10.

The California Flag Handicap, for California-breds, will be Ain’t No Other’s first start since he finished second by a neck to Private Zone in the Pirate’s Bounty Stakes over six furlongs at Del Mar on Sept. 4. Private Zone returned to win the Grade 1 Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park on Sept. 28.

[bc_video_id:307636:]“Our horse has been training well of late,” Hollendorfer said. “He’s been running against decent horses.”

The California Flag Handicap drew a field of 10, including stakes winners Luckarack, Mobilized, Strong Wind, and Tiz a Minister.

Ain’t No Other, who has earned $520,465, has won four stakes, all for owners and breeders Tom and Debi Stull’s Tommy Town Thoroughbreds. The Sensational Star is his only win in six starts on Santa Anita’s hillside turf course, although he was also third in the Grade 3 Morvich Handicap on the hillside in 2011, which was won by California Flag. Since the Pirate’s Bounty, Hollendorfer has planned to start Ain’t No Other in the California Flag Handicap.

“We’ve had this as our point race,” he said. “We think it’s one of his best distances.”

Strong Wind, a 3-year-old colt trained by Mark Glatt, has yet to run on the hillside. The winner of the Graduation Stakes at Del Mar in 2012 when trained by Steve Knapp, Strong Wind had a busy summer campaign in five-furlong turf races at Del Mar, winning an optional claimer on Aug. 1, finishing third (placed second) in the Green Flash Handicap on Aug. 14, and finishing second to California Flag Handicap entrant Atta Boy Pete in an optional claimer on Aug. 29.

“He really took to the five-furlong turf races down there,” Glatt said. “It’s difficult to run three good races in a row, and we were fortunate to get three races at Del Mar.”

Glatt is cautiously optimistic that Strong Wind will be successful on the hillside turf course. The colt is capable of leading throughout, but has been more effective in recent starts racing from just off the pace. Glatt admits he will be holding his breath when the field crosses over the main track onto the main turf course.

“I expect he’ll run well,” he said. “It is a different race and a different dynamic. You never know how they’ll handle it. I expect he’ll handle the crossing.”