Sunday card features steady diet of sprints

It’s a quiet Sunday at Los Alamitos, where an ordinary card – all sprints – is highlighted by three specific races.

A maiden race for 2-year-old California-bred fillies is race 3; a low-level claiming race for nonwinners of two is race 5 with a “best bet” standout; and a California-bred allowance conspicuously short on speed goes as race 7. The pace scenario benefits Known Idea, beaten favorite in three straight.

The greatest significance of the Sunday program likely will be personal wagering. As in, did you win or lose? Sunday is Day Three of the short Los Alamitos meet that runs Fridays through Sundays. Closing day is Sept. 22.

Race 3 is the only race without a claiming provision. Six juvenile maiden fillies race five furlongs, and second-time starter Less Is More holds the edge over twice-troubled On Time Tam and fast-working first-time starter Fibonaccis Ride.

Less Is More wheels back 13 days after an unspectacular fourth-place debut at Del Mar. The filly took dirt inside and behind rivals, finished evenly, and galloped out fairly well after the finish. It was a useful debut prep for trainer Doug O’Neill. Less Is More is likely to improve.

O’Neill has started 31 juveniles this year; only four won first out. But second-start maiden 2-year-olds trained by O’Neill are 4 for 15. Less Is More falls into the second-start category. A California-bred by Nyquist, Less Is More will be ridden by Edwin Maldonado.

On Time Tam had trouble both starts, finishing sixth and fourth. Fibonaccis Ride, a full sister to race 7 entrant Crypto Ride and Friday race 2 entrant Hapi Hapi, has worked fast for trainer Cesar DeAlba. Fibonaccis Ride’s rider is Diego Herrera.

Race 5, a $12,500 claiming sprint for fillies and mares who have not won two races, includes the most probable winner on the card. Respect the Crown finished fifth in a similar race one week ago at Del Mar. It was a better-than-looked effort after breaking from the rail.

Respect the Crown bobbled at the start, was hard held inside, then got shuffled and lost position on the turn. She re-rallied to split the field. She moves to post 5 of seven on Sunday, meets modest rivals, and figures for an in-the-clear trip under jockey Tyler Baze. The filly’s trainer, Gary Stute, won with 24 percent of his Los Alamitos daytime starters the past five years. Best bet, indeed.

Race 7 is a California-bred allowance. Known Idea is the only front-runner, but he lost three straight as the favorite and his recent comeback was a dull sixth with no visible alibi. John Sadler trains Known Idea, whose rider is Baze. The colt could get brave and wire the field. He may get collared again.

Rhino was listed at 20-1 in the $75,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes on Saturday, but figures as a top choice in the Sunday allowance. The runner-up two back in a similar Los Alamitos statebred allowance, Rhino adds blinkers and switches to Tiago Pereira first off the claim by trainer Rafael DeLeon.

Others in the field include Spiritual Advisor, Crypto Ride, and Northern California shipper Danzing Rebel.

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