Sharp Samurai eyes Eddie Read, River Boyne targets La Jolla

ARCADIA, Calif. – This could be a very interesting summer for Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal.

The Red Baron’s Barn of Jed Cohen, and Rancho Temescal, directed by his son, Tim, own River Boyne, who won his second stakes in the $98,000 Rainbow Stakes for 3-year-olds on turf on Saturday at Santa Anita. They also own the four-time stakes winner Sharp Samurai, who won an allowance race with a $75,000 claiming option in his first start of 2018 on Sunday.

Sharp Samurai, co-owned by trainer Mark Glatt, will be considered for the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf July 22 at Del Mar. River Boyne, trained by Jeff Mullins, is a candidate for the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on turf Aug. 5 at Del Mar.

After Sharp Samurai’s win Sunday, Jed Cohen was fast to mention the stable has even greater depth.

“We’ve got another 3-year-old,” he said. “Tatters is coming back.”

Tatters to Riches, sixth in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity last September, is in training with Mullins for a projected return early at the Del Mar summer meeting, which begins July 18. Tatters to Riches was sidelined with a bone chip in an ankle after the Del Mar Futurity.

Sharp Samurai started for the first time since late November on Sunday. Ridden by Gary Stevens, Sharp Samurai ($5) overcame traffic on the turn to rally between horses and win by 1 3/4 lengths over the Aqueduct stakes winner Catapult.

“They had him locked in a little bit,” Glatt said. “I knew he could find a way to get out.

“He ran like everyone expected. It’s good to have him ready off a layoff. You hope you can come back where you left off.”

Sharp Samurai won four consecutive stakes last summer and fall before finishing fourth by a length in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby last November. A winner of 7 of 11 starts, Sharp Samurai won the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby at 1 1/8 miles on turf last September.

“The Read does make good sense from a timing standpoint,” Glatt said. “We know he likes that course.”

River Boyne is on the Sharp Samurai career path. Sharp Samurai won the 2017 Rainbow and the La Jolla.

River Boyne won the Rainbow Stakes by a convincing 2 1/4 lengths over Blame the Rider, the winner of the Singletary Stakes at a mile on turf on May 5. The Rainbow was River Boyne’s first start since a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes on soft turf at Churchill Downs on May 5.

River Boyne is unlikely to race outside of Southern California for the rest of the year, Mullins said in the winner’s circle.

“He’s got a good series of races in the summer and fall,” Mullins said. “The little break to the opening of Del Mar will be good for him.”

The Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 2 is another goal for River Boyne, who has won 4 of 9 starts.

◗ Jockeys Franklin Ceballos and Drayden Van Dyke will serve suspensions this week after dropping appeals for careless riding infractions at Santa Anita.

Ceballos will serve a four-day suspension from Thursday through Sunday after withdrawing an appeal of a ruling issued on April 21 for failing to maintain a straight course in a race the preceding day.

Van Dyke is suspended for three days from Friday through Sunday after withdrawing an appeal of a ruling issued on March 30 for causing interference in a race on March 29.

Through Sunday, Van Dyke was seventh in the standings with 18 wins, while Ceballos was tied for 11th with 14 wins. Flavien Prat led all riders with 35 wins.