Turf Paradise: Hank Mills Sr. lures Az Ridge

Az Ridge continues his push to become the top older male at Turf Paradise as he goes for his fifth win in his last six starts in Saturday’s $35,000 Hank Mills Sr. Handicap. The mile main-track event drew a field of nine.

Az Ridge, a 4-year-old owned by the Sawyer Cattle Company and trained by Dan McFarlane, has been wonderfully versatile in his racing career. He was stakes placed routing on dirt at Fairplex in Southern California in September 2012, stakes placed routing on turf here over a year ago, won the Luke Kruytbosch routing on dirt here Dec. 31, won mile races here March 3 and April 7, and then came back after nearly eight months off to easily win the Cactus Wren – a dirt sprint – here Nov. 23. A son of Toccet, Az Ridge moves back to a route, which is his best game, with two strong recent works, including a bullet five-furlong move in 59.40 seconds here Dec. 15. Regular rider Kelly Bridges will be aboard Az Ridge, the 120-pound highweight.

His main challenge may come from up-and-coming local Spanish Jazz and Southern California raider D’ Obsession.

Spanish Jazz, trained by Robertino Diodoro, has been superb in his seven starts, with four wins and three seconds. Spanish Jazz was second to the meet’s top sprinter, L.A. Weekend, in an optional-claiming dirt sprint here Oct. 23 and then easily won going about 7 1/2 furlongs on turf here Nov. 12. Jorge Carreno is up at 119 pounds.

D’ Obsession was trained in California by Michael Pender, but is now in the barn of Jeff Metz. He was off the board in his only dirt start, but that came in his debut in April 2012 at Santa Anita. He ran on well for fourth after a sluggish start in that race. D’ Obsession comes here after running third on Betfair Hollywood Park’s synthetic main track Nov. 30. Scott Stevens rides at 115 pounds.

Hurricane Lake, trained by Diodoro, was fourth in this race last year. He comes off a sharp second in a turf route here Nov. 30, his first start in more than three months.