Santa Anita: Follini will gun for the front in Friday feature

ARCADIA, Calif. – Follini has won three races in the last year with the same style – leading throughout.

“That’s the key to his success,” trainer Mark Glatt said.

The 4-year-old Follini was eighth in the California Cup Sprint at Santa Anita on Jan. 25, the third stakes appearance in his 10-race career. Follini has yet to win at that level, which makes his presence in an optional claimer over 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course Friday more logical.

Follini can lead throughout in a race unlikely to have numerous pacesetters.

“With him, it’s a matter of whether he can get an easy lead,” Glatt said. “He drew the 1 hole, and I’m not happy about that. He drew the 1 hole last time, and it was a disaster. I don’t think there is speed [in this race] like that [race]. It depends on the break. We need a clean break.”

Friday’s optional claimer will be Follini’s first start on turf since a fifth in an optional claimer over five furlongs at Del Mar last August. Follini won two six-furlong races on turf at Hollywood Park in the spring and summer of 2013.

“I think he’s equally good on turf,” Glatt said.

Glatt’s stable had a brilliant run from March 6-9, winning four races. Glatt, 41, had three wins Sunday, the first time he won that many races in a day since June 9, 1995, at Yakima Meadows in Washington.

In Friday’s race, Glatt also runs Boozer, a 4-year-old unraced since finishing fourth in an allowance race at Hollywood last June. Boozer was previously trained by Kathy Walsh. Boozer is entered to be claimed for $62,500.

The biggest threats to Follini appear to be the veteran claimers A Toast to You, a seven-time winner; Royal F J, a four-time winner; and Brokered, a winner on the course Feb. 15.

A Toast to You has won two of his last three starts on the hillside. Royal F J was third in a $50,000 claimer on the hillside in January.

Brokered will be a threat as a stalker. Trained by Craig Dollase, Brokered won a first-condition allowance race in his debut over the course.

“He took to it,” Dollase said. “It was a question of whether he would handle the hillside. If he runs a similar race as last time, we’ll be in good shape.”