Stolen Treasure back quick for closing-day King Glorious Stakes

When Stolen Treasure won a maiden race at a mile on turf on Dec. 1 at Del Mar, trainer Ed Freeman told owner and breeder Paul Reddam he had a prospect for the Snow Chief Stakes for statebreds at Santa Anita in the spring.

“He told me, ‘You better do something between now and then,’ ” Freeman recalled Friday.

The opportunity has arrived quickly. Stolen Treasure will make his stakes debut in Sunday’s $100,000 King Glorious Stakes for statebred 2-year-olds at a mile at Los Alamitos.

The $125,000 Snow Chief Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf on May 25 will be a long-range goal.

Stolen Treasure, by Nyquist, is part of a field of eight in the last race of a marathon 12-race program that begins at 11:30 a.m. Pacific. Sunday’s program is the final day of the Los Alamitos December meeting. Santa Anita begins its winter-spring meeting on Dec. 26.

Stolen Treasure set a slow pace in his maiden win on Dec. 1, his first start at a mile in his fifth race. Freeman expects Stolen Treasure to race from off the pace in the King Glorious.

“He doesn’t have to have the lead,” Freeman said.

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Stolen Treasure will have the fastest turnaround among the entrants.

“There are limited opportunities to run 2-year-olds long,” Freeman said. “Although it’s quick back, you have to take it.”

None of the runners in the King Glorious are stakes winners. Mici’s Express and Last Call London were second and third in the I’m Smokin Stakes at six furlongs at Del Mar in September, while the Reddam-owned Stay on the Fence was eighth for trainer Antonio Garcia in the Golden State Juvenile on Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.

Magic Spoon, who won the Golden State Juvenile, is currently sidelined with an injury, trainer Hector Palma said earlier this week. Dr. No No, who won the I’m Smokin and was third in the Golden State Juvenile, is being given a rest, trainer Brian Koriner said.

Mici’s Express followed a nose loss in the I’m Smokin with a troubled fifth in the Grade 3 Zuma Beach Stakes at a mile on turf Oct. 8 and a fourth in the Golden State Juvenile when he closed from last of 12.

“In his last race, I thought he fell way too far behind,” trainer Steve Knapp said. “He closed 4 1/2 lengths down the lane, and you can’t close much more than that.”

The King Glorious will be the 10th start of the year for Mici’s Express, who Knapp says thrives on activity.

“It is a lot of races, but he seems to handle it very well,” Knapp said.

While Mici’s Express is a veteran, the King Glorious will be the second start for Tom Seaver, a maiden race winner in a six-furlong turf race Oct. 22 at Santa Anita.

“He was pretty green when he won the first time out,” trainer Phil D’Amato said. “He’s really transformed in the last month and a half. He’s more professional in the morning.

“He’s a very tactical horse. I think he can stalk and come from further off the pace.”

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