Santa Anita: Woodmans Luck seems suited to longer distance
ARCADIA, Calif. – Woodmans Luck will always be known as the last horse to win at Hollywood Park. He won race 11 on Dec. 22, a starter allowance on turf that was the final race of the final meet at Hollywood.
“I think we’ve gotten all the notoriety out of that we can,” trainer Vladimir Cerin said. “Although people keep bringing me photos to sign and $2 win tickets they want me to sign that they won’t cash.”
Cerin and owners David and Holly Wilson want to see more success from Woodmans Luck, a 6-year-old gelding who has won twice in a 26-race career. Friday, Woodmans Luck starts at 1 1/4 miles on turf for the first time in an optional claimer at Santa Anita.
The race is restricted to $40,000 claimers and first-condition allowance horses. Woodmans Luck is not entered for a claiming price and is racing above his allowance eligibility. He remains eligible for a first-condition allowance race for California-breds, which he could win and still be eligible for a race similar to Friday’s feature, the seventh race.
For Cerin, it’s the surface and distance that make Friday’s race attractive.
“I hate to skip a condition, but we’re looking at the distance more than his condition,” Cerin said.
Woodmans Luck was third in an optional claimer for California-breds over 1 1/16 miles on dirt on Feb. 14. In the finale at Hollywood Park, Woodmans Luck closed from off the pace and won by a nose over 1 1/16 miles on turf. The unknown regarding Friday’s race is whether he will be effective at the longest distance of his career. Cerin said he is confident, based on how Woodmans Luck has been closing in shorter races.
Woodmans Luck is part of a field of eight that includes Lime Rickey, who was second in the Round Table Stakes over 1 1/2 miles on turf at Hollywood Park last May, and Mambo Man, a fast-closing second in an optional claimer over 1 1/2 miles on turf on Feb. 14.
Trained by Julio Canani, Mambo Man won an optional claimer over 1 3/8 miles on turf at Del Mar last September. Mambo Man is entered to be claimed for $40,000 on Friday.
Deep Play, a 5-year-old gelding, starts in the longest race of his career. Trained by Darrell Vienna, Deep Play beat two rivals in an optional claimer for California-breds on Feb. 28. He won on turf at Hollywood Park in 2012.