Santa Anita: Lakerville comes off the bench to win Clocker’s Corner Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Lakerville was more than five lengths behind the pacesetters in Sunday’s $92,200 Clocker’s Corner Stakes at Santa Anita when he crossed from the hillside turf course onto the main oval. To trainer Barry Abrams, Lakerville had his rivals at his mercy in his first start in 17 months.

“In my heart, I knew he was the best horse in the race,” Abrams said. “But it was such a long layoff. I knew he had the class.”

Lakerville did not perform like a horse unraced since August 2012. Ridden by Corey Nakatani, Lakerville rallied wide through the stretch to win the Clocker’s Corner for his first stakes win.

Lakerville ($19.60) ran about 6 1/2 furlongs on turf in 1:11.75. The Clocker’s Corner, restricted to horses who have not won a graded stakes since July 1, was Lakerville’s first start since a nose loss in the Green Flash Handicap at Del Mar in August 2012.

Sweet Swap, a 5-1 shot, closed from seventh to finish second, 1 1/4 lengths behind Lakerville. Di Giorgio, a Group 1 stakes winner in Argentina in 2013, finished third in his American debut, 1 3/4 lengths behind the winner.

Ankeny Hill, a 23-1 outsider, set a pace of 22.17 and 43.61 seconds and held fourth. Ready for More, the 2-1 favorite, was fifth, followed by Drill, Boat Trip, El Commodore, and Handsome Mike.

Lakerville was bred by Team Green and Abrams, who co-owns the 6-year-old horse by Unusual Heat with California Horse Racing Board Commissioner Madeline Auerbach. Lakerville has won 5 of 7 starts and earned $272,660.

His absence in late 2012 and through 2013 was caused by a series of minor injuries.

“He had a couple of little things that kept him off,” Abrams said.

Abrams said Lakerville will be pointed for the $100,000 Sensational Star Handicap for California-breds on the hillside turf course Feb. 22.