Santa Anita: Lakerville reloads for Sensational Star
ARCADIA, Calif. – Lakerville ran the best race of his career when he returned from a layoff of more than 17 months to win the Clocker’s Corner Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 26. That has trainer Barry Abrams wondering if Lakerville can run another big race in Saturday’s $100,000 Sensational Star Stakes.
“He hasn’t shown any reason that he would regress,” Abrams said. “You never know after a big effort like that.”
Lakerville will be favored to win the Sensational Star Stakes for California-breds over about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course. Lakerville won the Clocker’s Corner over the same course and distance, closing from fifth in a field of nine to win by 1 1/4 lengths.
“I expected him to run well, but to win that easy, I didn’t expect that,” Abrams said. “I didn’t have him ready to win. I had him ready to run back.”
For Saturday’s race, the only significant change will be the presence of jockey Gary Stevens. He replaces Corey Nakatani, who is riding Gold Hawk in the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds on Saturday. Stevens will ride Lakerville for the first time Saturday.
A 6-year-old, Lakerville is owned by Abrams and Madeline Auerbach and has won 5 of 7 starts and earned $272,660. The Clocker’s Corner was the first stakes win for Lakerville, who had “a lot of little things” that forced the lengthy layoff from the summer of 2012 until last month, Abrams said.
Eventually, Abrams would like to try Lakerville in longer races.
“I’ve got a lot of thoughts,” he said. “I’ve never had a chance. The idea is to stretch him out, but he’s never had the opportunity.”
Lakerville is part of a field of seven in the Sensational Star and will carry top weight of 123 pounds, three to five pounds more than his rivals.
Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has the biggest threat to Lakerville with three stakes winners – Ain’t No Other, Kate’s Event, and Summer Hit. Ambitious Brew, Coach Bob, and Mr. Ornery are the other Sensational Star runners.
Ain’t No Other won the 2013 Sensational Star and has one win in eight subsequent starts, which came in the Jess Jackson Owners’ Handicap at Santa Rosa last August. Ain’t No Other was sixth in the Grade 3 Daytona Handicap on the hillside turf course Dec. 28.
Kate’s Event won the Tiznow Stakes at Hollywood Park last April in his stakes debut. A 7-year-old horse, Kate’s Event was third in the California Cup Sprint on dirt Jan. 25, his first start since September.
Summer Hit, who won the Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap at Golden Gate Fields in November, has won 9 of 16 starts and earned $417,755 in his career. He is a four-time stakes winner.
A 5-year-old gelding owned by Hollendorfer and John Carver, Summer Hit was ninth of 14 as the 6-5 favorite in the California Cup Turf Classic on Jan. 25. Summer Hit set a quick pace in that race over 1 1/8 miles and faded from contention in the final furlong, losing by 3 1/4 lengths.
The Sensational Star will be the first start on the hillside turf course for Summer Hit since a win in an allowance race in February 2013.