Turf Paradise: L. A. Weekend rides win streak into Phoenix Gold Cup

Last season L. A. Weekend parlayed two wins at Turf Paradise, including the meet’s marquee event, the $75,000 Phoenix Gold Cup, into horse of the meet honors. The 6-year-old gelding looks even bigger and badder this season as he lines up Saturday against 11 others to defend his title in the six-furlong fixture at the Phoenix track.

But it won’t be easy as he must deal with a few scary Southern California raiders and local rival Absolutely Cool. The Gold Cup goes as the final race on an eight-race program that also features the $35,000 Turf Paradise Handicap and $35,000 Sun City Handicap.

L. A. Weekend, owned by Rick Wiest and trained by Robertino Diodoro, blossomed last season. After a 5 3/4-length optional-claiming win at Sunland Park, he came here to win this race and then romped in the Coyote Handicap. That was enough to earn him more frequent flyer miles, but he was no factor when sixth in a sprint on Hollywood Park’s synthetic track May 4 and sixth on dirt in a stakes at Northlands Park on June 8.

L. A. Weekend got a well-deserved freshening and has come back breathing fire: He romped in an optional claimer here Oct. 23 (99 Beyer Speed Figure), romped again in the Caballos Del Sol here Dec. 7 (99 Beyer), and had little more than a public workout when easily winning the Swift here Jan. 25 (98 Beyer). That makes him 5 for 5 at the Phoenix track. Geovanni Franco, who has been up for all five, keeps the call on the 125-pound co-highweight who breaks from the far outside (post 12). Homerun Berti, who enters off four straight sprinting wins, including three stakes at Zia Park and Sunland, is the race’s other highweight.

Roman Threat, owned by Patti and Hal Earnhardt III and now trained by Dan McFarlane, showed big-time ability in 2012 for then-trainer Bob Baffert, winning 2 of 3 starts including the Grade 3 Los Angeles Handicap. The lone loss was sharp, too, as he ran second in the Grade 2 Potrero Grande. Those three starts earned big Beyers, too (106, 104, 107). However, Roman Threat was then gone more than 15 months and wasn’t as sharp when he came back. He ran fifth in Del Mar’s Pirate’s Bounty on Sept. 4 and fifth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Oct. 5. Obviously, this is a significant class drop and he’s been working splendidly over this track of late (bullet half-mile in 46.80 seconds on Feb. 9; bullet 46.60 on Feb. 2). Roman Threat will carry 124 pounds in the Phoenix Gold Cup.

Another Southern California invader is Moonshine Bay (124 pounds). Owned by Jerry Hollendorfer, Marvin Kirsner, Al Morrison, and George Todaro and trained by Hollendorfer, the 6-year-old gelding was a sharp second in the Midnight Lute at Santa Anita on Jan. 4 and a good third in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes there Feb. 2. Spirit Rules also comes in from Southern California for owner-trainer Paul Aguirre. He ran fourth in his last two starts, both stakes.

Absolutely Cool has been chasing L. A. Weekend the past couple seasons, finishing second, beaten one length by that rival, in the Phoenix Gold Cup last year for owner Karl Krieg and trainer Valorie Lund. Absolutely Cool also finished second by a nose in this race in 2012.

Az Ridge has momentum

Az Ridge, owned by the Sawyer Cattle Company and trained by McFarlane, is the 123-pound highweight and horse to beat in the $35,000 Turf Paradise Handicap. The 1 1/16-mile turf event drew a field of 10 older horses. Az Ridge comes here riding high. He posted four straight victories, two of them dirt stakes, before finishing a sharp second (beaten just a neck by Southern California invader Fire With Fire) in the Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile on this course Jan. 18.

Eight line up for Sun City

Ricspretentiousgal looks to strengthen her grip on the turf distaff division here as the 5-year-old mare heads a field of eight in the $35,000 Sun City Handicap at a mile on the turf. Tabbed as the 121-pound co-highweight with Warrens Venedalucy, Ricspretentiousgal was claimed for $40,000 by owner Charles Garvey and trainer Diodoro when sixth at Santa Anita on Jan. 1. She came here for the Glendale Handicap on Jan. 18 at 1 1/16 miles on this course and flourished, sitting well back and powering home to win easily.

Warrens Venedalucy comes here sharp having won three straight, but all were dirt sprints at Zia Park, Sunland Park, and here. She has just one third-place finish in four grass starts. Of Royalty is 3 for 3 on this course, including a romping win in the Chandler Handicap on Nov. 16. She comes off a dull run when ninth (last) in the Kachina Handicap on dirt here Jan. 1 and should appreciate moving back to turf.