Twin Spires still aimed at Burke

A little battered, Twin Spires emerged from the $293,878 Kindergarten last Saturday as the leader of the 2-year-old division at Los Alamitos and a milestone horse for the Dutch Masters III syndicate and trainer Jaime Gomez.

Twin Spires's victory in the first major stakes of the year for 2-year-olds was the fourth in the Kindergarten for the Dutch Masters team of James Streelman and Denny Boer, equaling the four wins in the 1970s by owner Ivan Ashment. Gomez joined Blane Schvaneveldt as the only trainer to win the race seven times.

Twin Spires emerged from the race with a cut on an ankle that required stitches, Gomez said. The slight injury has not put off plans for Twin Spires to be entered in the June 6 trials of the first $1 million futurity of the Los Alamitos season, the Ed Burke Million. The final of the race is June 20.

"He cut himself a little bit in the right ankle," Gomez said. "We put seven or eight stitches in. It's not infected."

Gomez had four qualifiers in the Kindergarten, but started only three. Fastest qualifier Effectiveimmediately was withdrawn after getting a cut on a leg earlier in the week.

Gomez had hoped to sweep the first three positions with his remaining starters, but only Twin Spires hit the board. Ridden by Alejandro Luna, who rode all four of Gomez's qualifiers in the May 2 trials, Twin Spires overcame a bumping incident at the start to win the 300-yard Kindergarten by a half-length over Runaway Tyme. The final time was 15.45 seconds.

Gomez also finished fourth with Dig Down Deep and seventh with Notawalkbehinder.

Twin Spires, a gelding bred by Dutch Masters, is unbeaten in three starts, having won a maiden race on April 9 and a division of the trials. He is out of the First Down Dash mare Docs First Card, who produced Secret Card, the winner of the 2000 Kindergarten for Dutch Masters and Gomez. Secret Card was the champion 2-year-old filly of 2000.

Gomez said that Twin Spires will stay at Los Alamitos this year, with the Ed Burke, Golden State Million Futurity in November and the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity in December as goals.

The All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs in September is not in Gomez's thoughts, largely because of a stout $50,000 supplemental entry fee for the time trials.