ARCADIA, Calif. – The $100,000 Lazaro Barrera Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita on Saturday can revive the season of Smokey Image, the California-bred champion 2-year-old male of 2015. Smokey Image won his first six starts, including five stakes, before a rough campaign in Triple Crown preps in recent months – a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes in March and a seventh in the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 9. He struggled on a wet track in the Santa Anita Derby. “It was kind of a disaster,” trainer Carla Gaines said. The Grade 3 Laz Barrera is run at seven furlongs, a distance that best suits Smokey Image, Gaines said. “We want to go back to what we know he’s good at,” Gaines said. “The main thing is he’s doing great, and this looks like a logical play.” :: Bet Laz Barrera Stakes with DRF Bets and get FREE access to this article and all of DRF Plus, including Santa Anita selections, video, and real-time analysis. The Barrera is a competitive race with seven runners. There are two other stakes winners in the field – Iron Rob, who won two sprint stakes earlier this year, and Mrazek, the winner of the Graduation Stakes for California-breds at Del Mar last summer. I Will Score and Denman’s Call have placed in stakes. Denman’s Call was third to Nyquist and Exaggerator in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes in February. Nyquist and Exaggerator were first and second in the Kentucky Derby last weekend. Laz Barrera, Race 6 KEY CONTENDERS Smokey Image, by Southern Image Last 3 Beyers: 48-71-85 ◗ Smokey Image won the California Cup Derby at 1 1/16 miles in January, his only victory in three starts around two turns. Last year, when trained by Greg James, Smokey Image won four consecutive stakes in Northern and Southern California, all in sprints. ◗ Smokey Image was entered for the Desert Code Stakes on the hillside turf course last weekend but was withdrawn when wet weather forced the race to the main track. ◗ Victor Espinoza has the mount on Smokey Image, who has proven adaptable to pace circumstances. Last year in his stakes wins, Smokey Image set the pace, raced as a stalker, and even overcame significant traffic to win a seven-furlong race at Del Mar. Iron Rob, by Twirling Candy Last 3 Beyers: 9-91-89 ◗ Trainer George Papaprodromou insists that Iron Rob could not handle a sealed and sloppy track in the Santa Anita Derby. The colt was eased through the stretch by jockey Stewart Elliott, who did not persevere with his mount when beaten. ◗ Iron Rob was in outstanding form earlier this year, with wins in the Baffle Stakes and San Pedro Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters. Elliott retains the mount on Iron Rob, who is expected to race near the front. Denman’s Call, by Northern Afleet Last 3 Beyers: 67-88-94 ◗ Denman’s Call was sixth in the Santa Anita Derby, his only race around two turns in four starts. Aside from the third behind Nyquist in the San Vicente, Denman’s Call was second to Iron Rob in the San Pedro Stakes at six furlongs on March 20.