Turnerloose snaps 14-race losing streak in Burbank Stakes

The only mishap involving Turnerloose’s win in the Luther Burbank Stakes at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa last Saturday fortunately happened several minutes after the 5-year-old mare had ended a 14-race losing streak.

As owner Bing Bush gathered with his family, friends, and co-owners, the glass engraved portion of the trophy fell from its base.

“It wasn’t broken,” Bush said with a laugh Sunday. “It was so close.”

Turnerloose races for Bush’s Abbondanza Racing, Medallion Racing, and Ike and Dawn Thrash.

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Now a three-time stakes winner, Turnerloose won the minor Burbank Stakes for her first victory since arriving in California in the winter of 2022-23. Earlier in his career, when trained by Brad Cox, Turnerloose won the $500,000 Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Kentucky Downs in 2021 and the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes at Fair Grounds in early 2022.

The Burbank was her first win since the Rachel Alexandra and first win with trainer Phil D’Amato.

Prior to the Burbank, Turnerloose finished last of five in the Possibly Perfect Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on turf on June 15 at Santa Anita, fading in early stretch.

“I think the last race, it was a little too long and I think that helped her out a little bit for this shorter race,” Bush said. “We’ve had a couple of tough runs. Maybe she didn’t do quite as well as we thought.”

Last September, Turnerloose was second in the Grade 2 John Mabee Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Del Mar. The same race is a possibility on Sept. 7, D’Amato said Sunday.

“We’ll see how she comes back after the trip” from Santa Rosa, D’Amato said. “We said if she had won that kind of race and picked her head [up] and got us going in the right direction, we could entertain something that.”

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